


Antithesis

by orlandr4, orphan_account



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:08:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 101,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3853480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orlandr4/pseuds/orlandr4, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lauren is a washed up rock artist. She's got bills to the ceiling and no inspiration. Her A&R Candece gives her an ultimatum. Revive her career by collaborating with one of R&B's up and coming stars, or watch her carefully constructed musical career slip through her fingers. Here, enters Normani Kordei. She's sexy, southern, sweet, and talented, yet not quite at the top. But she has promise. She knows her breakthrough moment could be coming, but she needs the cherry on top to really solidify her career. That cherry turns out to be the washed up but talented and beautiful Lauren Jauregui. Opposites do attract, but most love stories don't factor in the music industry. Wrought with lies, sex, power, and grit, an incredibly fierce love might just be enough to push these two to the top.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

 

_"Antithesis is the narrow gateway through which error most prefers to worm its way towards the truth." -Friedrich Nietzsche_

 

“Nope, I’m not gonna do it,” Lauren protested, “It’s all bullshit.”

“How are you so sure of that?”

“You already know how I feel about those plastic industry bitches.”

“Just give me one reason why we shouldn’t go through with this collab,” Lauren’s stern A&R Candece asserted, “And while you’re at it, give me a better plan since mine is such bullshit.”    
Lauren crossed her arms and turned, moving across the room and around her desk which was cluttered with cheap flavored rolling papers, stacks of unopened envelopes, half-written lyric sheets, and empty liquor bottles. The 21 year-old, clad in dirtied sweatpants and a Bob Marley t-shirt, slumped down into the last clean thing in her in-home studio: a comfy office chair and sighed deeply.

“It’s just another sales strategy.” Lauren huffed, “It’s all calculated to trends and chart positions and it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“Lauren,” Candece started as she stalked towards her artist’s messy workstation, “you’re saying all of this like making music isn’t your only source of income.” She began to fiddle with one of the torn rolling papers, “unless you have some sort of drug cartel I don’t know about.”

“No, that’s not the case.” Lauren rolled her eyes childishly and swiveled in her studio chair, longingly gazing at her miniature recording booth behind a thick sheet of glass.

“It’s just not my style.” Lauren admitted.

“Have you even heard her?”

“I don’t have to, I don’t need a shitty collab to support myself.”

“Do you know how stupid you sound right now?!” Candece exclaimed stomping her heel into the ground, “Look around your studio Lauren, and tell me what you see because I honestly don’t believe we’re on the same page here.”

Lauren scoffed again, ignoring her A&R’s command. She rested her chin in her palm and sighed even deeper than before. The studio fell silent, even blocking out the boisterous sounds of the streets of SoHo.

“Bills!” Candece roared through the silence, shocking Lauren in the process, “Bills are stacked up to the fucking ceiling!” she yanked at the thick pile of envelopes next to one of Lauren’s keyboards and furiously flung them onto the ground.

“And you’ve probably got enough alcohol to sponsor a college party! I know you’re young but this,” she looked around the studio with an uncomfortable snarl of the lip and scrunch of the nose, “this is unacceptable.” Candece eyes met Lauren’s, who was still focused on the recording booth behind the glass.

“And you better look at me while I’m talking to you.” The disgusted A&R demanded. Lauren immediately snapped her eyes to Candece’s but still kept the same nonchalant expression.

“Look. Here’s the gameplan. She’s going to be at Opera tonight and I am going to take you with me so the both of you can meet. No questions asked.”

“But I never agreed.” Lauren added. Candece stepped backwards, rubbing her temples and groaning in sheer frustration. She had never seen Lauren act this way, especially towards her. They'd always shared a mutual respect for each other and now that Candece couldn’t find it, she began to struggle with her youngest artist. Everything felt like a chore and Candece was sick of it.

“Just for your information, since you must not be able to see the bills stacked on your desk,” Candece said sarcastically, “You’re broke.” Lauren’s eyes sunk to floor but immediately snapped up to the woman after she reminded herself of her A&R's command.

“You’ve been sitting in here on your ass drinking, smoking, and doing everything else but making music for the past six months! I don’t know if you know this but you’re a signed artist to the second largest label in the world. The second largest!” Candece emphasized, “It’s not just you who makes the decisions, Lauren. People who have invested almost everything in you and everyone at the label are hounding me so I can give them back what they have put into your work.” her voice continued to raise in a frustrated rage, “And the fact that you haven’t done shit only proves who you really are and I’m fed up with it.” Candece shook her head rapidly, watching Lauren’s eyebrows rise as her careless expression changed into something a lot more careful. Candece rested her palms on the arms of Lauren’s office chair and forced herself into the young Latina's personal space. Their faces were centimeters apart, so close that Lauren could feel Candece’s anger radiating off of her forehead.

“You are going to Opera tonight, you will meet her, and you will be on your best behavior.” She leaned even closer, “And if you don’t, I’d be more than happy to drop you and sign her right on the spot.”

“You wouldn’t.” Lauren snarled defensively.

“Just watch what happens the next time you think you’re better than everyone else.”

 Candece leaned off of Lauren’s office chair, beet red in the cheeks. Lauren’s eyes sunk down to the floor as her face flooded with color. Candece had never gotten that mad before and even worse, she had never threatened to kick Lauren off of the label. The idea was so frightening it caused Lauren's entire body to tremble with nerves.

“You better get your act together or you can say goodbye to all of this,” Candece said, “Well...that's if your landlord doesn’t make you say goodbye first.” Lauren ran her fingers through her hair nervously, still shaking from her A&R’s biting words. The room fell back into silence, only being interrupted by the ruffles of Candece digging through her purse. She quickly slid a thin CD out of her purse and waved it in the air with a half-smile.

“Here.” She said plainly, tossing the CD onto the filthy layer of trash on Lauren’s desk, “She’s a true talent and I think you’ll like her. Believe me.”

Candece turned from the young woman and clicked open the door as her face returned to its regular complexion.

“Wait,” Lauren said, causing the A&R to turn from the exit. “What’s her name, again?" Lauren inquired.

“Normani Kordei.” Candece replied sternly.

Lauren nodded slowly, and the platinum blonde reminded, “I’ll be here at 9.” as she slammed the door behind her, leaving the studio in silence.

Lauren looked up, discovering that she was, once again, alone in the studio. She let out a deep, tiresome exhale. She swiveled over to where Candece threw the CD and was immediately struck by the cover.  It had Normani’s name in curved letters on one side while the other showed a side profile of a beautiful dark skinned woman who held a seductive expression. Lauren held the CD up, admiring its design and examining its content. Once she reminded herself of the situation she was in, she sighed again, and flung the tape back to where her manager threw it. This was the first time Candece had yelled but this wasn’t her first time asking for Lauren to do something for the betterment of her career. In fact, this was just another request on top of hundreds she had faced throughout her last three years as a signed artist.

\------------

_“The producers are at that bar over there,” Candece pointed, “just be your regular charming self and you’ll be fine.” Lauren shifted her eyes back and forth between Candece and the line of the most promising producers of the year so far, whom were all sitting on a row of stools in front of the bar. The VIP section of LA’s hottest night club was a lot more crowded than usual mostly because it was an award show weekend. A &Rs, dancers, marketing execs, and singers lined up around the block to build connections and chat with potential collaborators and clients. Which was quite ordinary. But on this night in particular, the club had reached full capacity, and it seemed everyone was trying to rub shoulders with each other. _

_Lauren had accustomed herself to large crowds and genuinely enjoyed herself at events like these, but something about the stale smell of weed, expensive cologne, and sweat made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell whether her discomfort came from her severe case of jet lag, lack of food, or her resulting pulsating migraine._

_Lauren couldn’t even remember where she was coming from, or even where she was going tomorrow. Every show, rehearsal, and meeting felt the same now and for the first time in months, the sole thing that Lauren wanted was a few days of long, calming, and uninterrupted sleep._

 

_“Here, take this.” Candece demanded, passing a flute of champagne to her 19-year old client, “Now go make things happen.”_

_Lauren took the glass hesitantly, still trying to muster up the strength to walk over to the bar. Eventually, she held herself up, slightly arched her back, and puckered her brick red painted lips and took her first step towards the line of producers._

 

_Needless to say, she stuck out from the rest of the crowd. Almost everyone else was black and she was just one small, pale-skinned latina that wanted to get a fresh-faced producer to help her on her first studio album. Lauren wasn’t picky about what she wanted with the album but she knew that she was incapable of the complexity she desired. She was so used to taking care of her music by herself that doing this, although normal for artists who didn’t play instruments nor produces themselves, was extremely out of her comfort zone. Lauren felt her body tremble but  couldn’t sort out if it was from her anxiety or her starvation._

 

_She immediately caught the eye of a producer who was sitting on the end of the row of stools. He wasn’t talking to anyone else, but merely bobbing his head to the muffled bass coming from outside of the VIP section. As Lauren strutted closer to him, he leaned back in his stool with an inviting smile. He looked at her like she was the only one in the room._

_"What brings you here, Miss Jauregui?" He asked seductively._

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

“This feels like a business convention...not a nightclub. But I guess that’s the famous life for ya.”

“Brandee, I’m not famous,” Normani clarified, “I just have potential.”

“Half of the people in this section are here for you, that sounds pretty famous to me.” Normani’s best friend scanned her eyes along the crowd of older-looking managers, nearly cringing at the boring discussions that she overheard.

“I brought you with me for support, can’t you just do that?” Normani asked, discreetly pulling up her tight red wine colored dress.

“Of course, of course.” Brandee said, taking a considerably large gulp of some fruity alcoholic drink.

“And slow down on the drinks, will you? This is still business.”

“My drinking is payback for you not telling me we’d be in a club talking to industry people all night.”

“Then at least pretend you wanna be here.”

“I’m an actress,” Brandee said dramatically, flailing her arms, “That’s what I do best.”

Normani rolled her eyes as she set down her third glass of water. She knew she shouldn’t have brought Brandee with her but Normani knew that her best friend of ten years could lighten the darkest of moods, especially since almost all of these managers lacked a youthful sense of humor.

“Excuse me, Miss Kordei?” a voice asked. Normani turned her head from Brandee’s and was met with a young blonde woman’s wide smile, “I don’t know if you remember me b-”

“Oh I do,” Normani answered passionately, “You’re Mrs. Campbell, right?”

“Yes, yes,” the woman affirmed, “but you can call me Candece.”

“It’s so nice to see you again!” Normani proclaimed, jumping up from her seat to hug the generous woman.

“Ah, you never lose that Southern charm, do you?”

“I was born with it.” Normani replied, air-kissing the manager’s cheeks, “So have you talked to Lauren about the collab?” she asked, gesturing for Candece to sit down next to her.  
“Yes, actually! I went up to her loft this afternoon.”  
“And..how’d she feel about it?” Normani asked hesitantly, hoping for a positive response.

Candece rolled her tongue on the inside of her cheek and shook her head, “I swear I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“What did she say?” The fresh faced star asked, leaning closer to the blonde A&R.

“She’s just on the fence.” Candece lied, “But that’s why I’m here and this is where you come in.”

“I’m all ears, darling.” Normani fawned, taking a sip of her water.

“I brought her here and honestly she hasn’t been out of the house in months”

“Aww.” Normani said with a genuine pout.

“I was hoping that maybe you could persuade her into it. You’re funny, generous, and charismatic so I’m sure she’ll like you.”

“You think so?” Normani asked with a bright smile.

“I know so.”

Normani smiled at the woman and nodded her head confidently, “Well where is she?”

“She should be around here, just look for a woman wearing all black,”  Candece advised, getting up from the VIP couch, “Let me know how it all goes.”

“Of course, of course.”

“I have faith in you, mama.” Candece said edging her way out of the VIP section.

“Don’t fret, I got you.” They exchanged a thumbs up and then the woman disappeared from Normani's sight.

“Wait,” Brandee started, “Which Lauren are you talking about?”

“Jauregui.” Normani stated plainly.

“Lauren Jauregui?!” Brandee gasped.

“Ssshh,” Normani hushed, “She’s in the room.”

"I thought she just stopped singing or something."

"She hasn't," Normani said, "she just hasn't released anything in a while."

"So you're telling me this is a comeback collab?" Brandee asked excitedly.

“I didn’t tell you anything by the way,” Normani clarified, “Nothing is finalized yet.”

“But it could be, right?”

“I really hope so.” Normani paused to finish off her glass of water, thumbing her fingers on her the straps of her dress, nervously scanning across the room again trying to locate the artist.

“Is that her?” Brandee asked, tilting her head in the direction of the bar.

“Is she wearing all black?”

“Yes.”

Normani whipped her head to the opposite side of the section and immediately spotted a woman about her height with long jet black hair, clad in a dress to match.

Normani nodded slowly before whispering “Well here goes nothing.” Normani sighed slowly as she stood up from the couch. Once she made Brandee check if she had lipstick on her teeth, Normani turned towards the bar, trying to wipe the slight nervousness sat in her stomach with reassuring thoughts. She felt everyone's eyes lock onto her as she walked across the room, keeping open tabs on who she chose to network and chat with. Although she was frightened by the fact that this collaboration depended on how she would approach the famous singer-songwriter, her aura was oozing with confidence and she had hope that she would turn away successful.

Normani overheard Lauren ask for another drink in her signature raspy voice, which sounded a lot more strained in person.

"Excuse me, Miss Jauregui?" Normani asked meekly, tapping the woman's shoulder.

"I don't take pictures with fans in clubs," she snapped, snatching a glass out of the bartender's hand, "Sorry bout it, babe." Lauren didn't even turn around to meet Normani's gaze. Instead, she took a huge gulp of her drink and kept her face towards the bar.

Normani chuckled uncomfortably before she said, "Don't worry, I'm not." She edged up next to Lauren at the bar, forcing Lauren to look at her, "I'm Normani Kordei."

"Who?" Lauren groaned, looking at the woman quizzically.

"Normani Kordei. I believe your A&R has brought up my name a few times."

Lauren slowly nodded her head, trying to match the face in front of her with the one she saw on the mixtape Candece gave her earlier in the day.

"Ah..... _you_." Lauren said menacingly, "The supposed southern belle of alternative R &B, huh? The fresh-faced darling of the music industry? Yeah," she scoffed harshly, "Nice try."

Normani laughed awkwardly, trying to ignore her biting comments, "What do I know? That's what all the critics say."

Lauren laughed sarcastically, mocking the woman. Normani's beaming smile fell slowly as anger rose throughout her body.

"Did Candece bring you over here to persuade me?" Lauren asked, slightly slurring her words, "Be honest."

"Yeah, she did." Normani stated plainly, "Despite that, I feel like if we collaborate, it'll be an amazing song."

"Did your manager tell you to say that?" Lauren asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No," Normani replied sharply, still trying to hold her aura of confidence, "I genuinely feel that way. And I know that our tones would mix very well."

"Did your vocal coach tell you to say that?"

"Well, I don't know, did yours tell you to act like such a pretentious bitch?" Normani asked matter of factly, "But I assume that's just your personality."

Lauren took a long gulp of her drink, raising her eyebrows nonchalantly, "Touchè"

"You're something else." Normani scoffed.

"I could say the same about you," Lauren answered quickly, "But there's nothing extraordinary about another industry puppet."

"Just drop it." Normani huffed, "I'm not gonna argue with a drunk."

"I'm not a drunk, babe."

"Are you sure? Because this bartender has been pouring you Ciroc for the past hour." Normani stated, "Maybe if you put that kind of dedication into your career you wouldn't even be at this place."

"Look sweetheart," Lauren started, slamming her drink onto the bar, "you can come for who I am but you can never ever come for my career!"

"What career?" Normani asked.

Lauren's eyebrows furrowed angrily as she brought her drink up from the table and reared her arm back, ready to spill all of the liquid onto the darker woman. Normani immediately noticed what the furious woman was trying to do, but instead of flinching, she raised her eyebrows knowingly.

"I wish you would." Normani snarled, placing her hand on her hip. "You don't wanna get dropped now do you?" Before Lauren could retaliate, Normani turned back towards Brandee, masking her anger and annoyance with another charming smile. But the fresh faced star wasn't doing a good job at it, since Candece could easily sense that things didn't go over well as she watched from the side of the room.  Her eyes switched between the two artists, and she immediately began to turn beet red in the face.

"You know," a deep voice behind Lauren stated, "she is kind of right." Lauren snapped her head to the voice, ready to fling her drink on the man her eyes found.

"What did you just say?" Lauren asked sternly.

"I mean, how can you act pretentious when you've only had one albu-"

Lauren already splashed the rest of her drink on the unknown, stumbling backwards in her high heels.

"Fuck you!" She swore boisterously, throwing the glass down, shattering it into infinitesimally sharp pieces, simultaneously drawing the room to a biting silence.

"Lauren Michelle!" a voice roared. Before Lauren could even identify it, she was yanked on the wrist and towards the exit. Candece quickly came into view, as she practically dragged her throughout the crowd.

Every single glass that was given to Lauren finally hit when she started moving underneath Cadence's force. Everyone started to look the same and her legs melted into jelly. As she wobbled and stumbled out of the club, Lauren cried,

"And fuck the rest of you at that! Damn pigs!"

_\------------------_

"Wake up, Jauregui!"

The agonizingly icy water splashed onto Lauren's face, sliding up her nostrils and through her hair. She shot up in bed, growling and grumbling incoherent swear words.

"What did you do that for?!" Lauren yelled, wiping droplets of water from her jaw, "you could've ruined my dress! Do you know how much this costs?!"

"You shouldn't have slept in it, then." Candece replied, setting the empty glass of water on Lauren's dresser behind her.

"Cadence what the hell has gotten into you?!"

"What has gotten into _you_ Lauren?" Cadence gazed across Lauren's bedroom, snarling at the clothes piled up on her bed and the cases of makeup surrounding her dressers and desks.

"Guess who called me this morning, Jauregui?" Candece asked, crossing her arms.

"Who?" Lauren responded, drowsily rubbing her temples with her fingers trying to erase her severe hangover headache.

"Normani. And do you know what she said?"

Lauren sat mute, bowing her head down slightly.

"Do you know what she said?!" Candece yelled, "She told me she wants out! Only because of the way _you_ treated her last night. And what sucks is how you probably don't even remember it."

"I do." Lauren replied softly.

"Well then you most certainly know it wasn't appropriate?"

"Yes."

"Then why would you do it?"

"I was drunk." Lauren said meekly.

Candece groaned disappointedly "You've got to be kidding me, Lauren." She sighed, gazing around the bedroom that was almost just as messy as the studio, "I shouldn't have to be your babysitter! I shouldn't need to watch your every move but here I am, dragging you through clubs, monitoring your alcohol intake, and waking your lazy ass up in your own home." Candece walked over to Lauren's bedside, examining her face of smeared makeup,drool, and water.

"I have always been reasonable with you, have I not?" Candece asked, leaning closer towards the 21 year-old. Lauren sunk her head down, refusing to reply.

"Have I not?!" Candece yelled. Lauren snapped her eyes to her manager, shaking her head slowly.

"I've helped you for three long years to be the best artist that you can be and here you are treating me, your label, and yourself like shit!" She paused to recompose yourself, "I honesty don't know what caused this.  I really wish I did Lauren, I really do. But you're too grown for me to be carrying you on my back."

Lauren bit her lip quizzically, squinting her eyes while desperately trying to gather her thoughts.

"With that being said," Candence began, sighing slowly, "Last time I was here, what did I say I'd do if you failed to cooperate?"

"No, no, Candece." Lauren protested desperately, losing the insincerity in her voice, "please don't say what I think you're going to say." She reached for Candece's hand, which was still crossed under her forearm.

"Lauren," she began sternly, "Don't you dare apologize now. You and I both know it's way too late."  Lauren started to protest under her breath, slowly raising her voice over Candece's, "We've kind of already begun the process of dropping you. I know it's sad and it was a long journey but I don't want someone disrespectful and nonchalant, and everyone at the label doesn't either." Candence took a step back, blatantly ignoring Lauren's pleas.

"Quit whining and listen." Candece demanded, patting Lauren's comforter. Lauren ceased immediately, sitting up in her bed as her bottle green eyes slowly began to fill themselves with hot tears.

"You used to be so passionate and so motivated, Lauren. You used to be so excited to work with me and other people and you lived your dream for a while. But," she sighed again, "that passion isn't there anymore. It's been gone for almost a year and given the circumstances, we can't afford someone like you anymore. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."

"S-so, everything's done?" Lauren asked softly, involuntarily breaking her voice over every syllable,  "everything?"

"It's heartbreaking how it took you until now to realize it." Candece said, "I did my job and you failed to do yours. That's that." Candece backed away from the bedside of her client as Lauren began to bawl into her palms, desperately whispering incoherent pleas.

"Candece I'm sorry." Lauren whimpered, raising her head from her hands, "Give me one more chance, it's all I ask."

"I already did." Candece replied quickly, strutting to Lauren's bedroom door, "The only person you need to blame is yourself."

 

She quickly slammed the door behind her, leaving the bedroom with Lauren's sobs echoing off the walls.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_**"Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."-Sun Tzu** _

 

_“Cut the tape I’ve seen enough.” The blaring trap music ceased as the line of dancers huffed and puffed, stretching out their limbs and resting their hands on their heads._

_“You’re all great,” the strict creative director complimented, “But we’re need dancers that are more than great.” She leaned back in her seat behind the table situated in front of the dance studio. She scanned her eyes across the auditionees, stopping at the youngest-looking one in the group._

_“You.” She said, pointing towards the young dancer, “What’s your name?”_

_“Normani Kordei.” The young woman replied with a grin._

_“From Houston, right?”_   
_“Yes, ma'am.”_

_“And how old are you again?”_

_“20.”_

_“Great, you’re in.” She stated directly. She ran her eyes across the other dancers pointing, discussing and murmuring with the other judges, “You...you....you...and you with the crop top, you’re in. Everyone else is dismissed.”_

_The chatter slowly arose in the dance studio as the eliminated auditionees scattered disappointedly towards their belongings. Normani tried her best to hold back her beaming smile. After years of training and pain, she’d finally got her first big gig as a background dancer for the BET Awards. It wasn’t what she wanted to do for the rest of her career, but she knew it would be a great start, especially since the pay was good._

_Normani instantly focused herself on how she was going to showcase herself backstage rather than during the performance. Dance was one of her greatest passions but her first was, and will always be, singing. If she played her cards right, she could get a grasp on launching her vocal career. This was exactly what she needed._

_“Fucking brownoser.” a voice complained, deliberately bumping into Normani’s shoulder._

_“Excuse you?”  Normani snarled, glaring at the other dancer walking away, “What was that for?”_   
_The older woman rapidly turned around and replied “You young ones swear you’re hot shit just because you’ve got the body.” She aggressively tossed a gym bag over her shoulder, “But true talent only comes with age.”_

_“Whatever you say.” Normani huffed, “If you’re so mature you wouldn’t have bumped into me, but I’ll let it go.”_

_“I’m just saying the truth, hun.”_

_“If it was the truth I would’ve gotten eliminated and you would’ve stayed...but is that the case?”_

_“You’re pretty extra for a Houston girl.”_

_“Everything’s bigger in Texas, boo.” Normani replied, cocking her head to the side, “Besides, you started it anyways.”_

_“Too bad this is New York.”  The eliminated dancer scoffed as she turned away from the 20 year old, dramatically stomping towards the exit of the dance studio. Normani still hadn’t gotten used to the catty-ness that always came with auditioning. There was always someone who thought they could do it better and when they couldn’t, they took their anger out on those who could. Since Normani was used to getting rejected as well as getting praised, she knew how to control herself regardless of the end result. No matter what, she consistently vowed to stand up for herself and to remain humble. After countless experiences she gained in her young life, she knew that was the strongest vow to keep to herself._

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Lauren’s number was already typed in Normani’s keypad, but she was hesitant to press the green ‘call’ button. Yes, she conceded to herself, she knew she misbehaved, but Lauren outdid her by a landslide. Normani has always snapped smart comebacks but she has never thrown a drink, nor cussed at the people who could make or break her career. It was obvious who was in the wrong here, and Normani still wanted to give her the cold shoulder. She had rejected the idea of a collab impulsively, still shocked and disgusted by the Latina songstress’ disrespectful mockery. After Brandee calmed her down the night before, Normani realized that she shouldn’t have called it off. At the end of the day, she needed Lauren to boost her career and knew that Lauren needed her just as badly.

Normani needed Lauren not only for the obvious reasons, but because she wasn’t secure here. Transitioning from the sweet hospitality of Houston, Texas to the cold pessimism of New York had taken a toll on her. A year of hopping from hotel to hotel in the city that never sleeps and living out of suitcases was not healthy. She missed her mother’s cooking, her **real** sweet tea, and most importantly, her support system. A telephone call could suffice but at the end of the day, she still wasn’t home.  This potential collab needed to happen and Normani reiterated to herself that it wouldn’t be possible if she continued to be petty, even if Lauren was acting the same exact way.

She tapped her finger on the button and pulled her phone up to her ear, mentally rehearsing exactly what she wanted to ask.

The other woman answered immediately with a weak, “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Lauren Jauregui?” Normani asked gleefully, tossing one of the twenty hotel-distributed shampoo bottles in her room back and forth in her hands.

“Yes.” Lauren replied with a voice crack.

“Hey, it’s Normani Kordei,” she paused, “We met last night.”

“Did Candece give you my number?” Lauren asked softly.

“Mhm!” Normani didn’t sense the attitude Lauren held in her voice last night. She sounded calmer...but mostly melancholy, “I’m just going to keep it real with you, we both kind of misbehaved last night.”

“I know, I know...and I’m sorry.”

Normani ignored her fake sincerity and continued, “We may not like each other or whatever but I really want this collab to work. I need it to...and so you do.”

Lauren sighed on the other end of the line, “Look Normani, you’re right I guess...but right now is just not the time.” Normani could hear Lauren sniffle, “I’m just feeling a little....a litt-”

“Hungover?” Normani asked. Immediately after she finished her question, she swore to herself, hoping that she didn’t get on Lauren’s bad side.

“Yes. Exactly.” Lauren replied. Normani just couldn’t let this collab slip through her fingers. She was hungry to create something that could spark the beginning of an iconic career and she refused to be stopped by an irritable out-of touch woman.

“Well...maybe I can take you out to lunch.” Normani said rapidly, “My treat.”

The other line was silent for what felt like hours. Normani patiently awaited for a response and sunk back onto the queen-sized headboard behind her.

“Um,” Lauren hesitated, “S-sure. Where do you have in mind?” Normani momentarily muted her phone to sigh in disbelief. “One step closer” she thought.   
“Is it okay if I text you the address?”

“That’s fine.”

“Great, awesome! Is 3 okay?”

“That’s fine.”

“Okay, perfect. So I’ll see you then.”

“Mhm.”  
Normani pulled her phone from her ear and ended the call, pumping her fist in the air. Maybe, just maybe, it was the alcohol that boosted Lauren’s ego last night and maybe, just maybe, this luncheon could change Lauren’s mind entirely.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Ever heard of a scare tactic? Lol ;) -Candece"_

__

Lauren squinted at her phone, rereading the contact name at the top of the screen. Candece had been ignoring her texts, calls, and voicemails all day and finally, after 4 painful hours, she decided to reply with a clue. Lauren peeked her eyes over her sunglasses again, still in disbelief. It just didn't make sense.

She had just sat down in a private booth tucked off to the side of an upscale diner, two blocks from her loft. Even though she was still struggling with her hangover, she tried her best to look as presentable as she could. Lauren had whipped out her old makeup pallets, blazers, and pants that she wore when she first got signed. In a reflective mood, she thought about how she had to start all over once again but couldn't even think about her label, given that the slightest memory caused her to burst into tears of misery.

Lauren always knew she had the potential to succeed and Candece was willing and able to give her that chance. She started to take advantage of her royalty checks, fame, and old co-workers and the effects finally built up on her. Lauren thought to herself about how she waited until it was too late to realize how much of a fuck-up she was, and above all, she understood that this luncheon could potentially redeem herself.

"You're here early." A voice teased. Lauren took her sunglasses off the bridge of her nose and set them onto the wooden table, looking up in the direction of the voice. The blonde woman in front of her walked to the table with a mischievous, almost evil smile.

"Candece?" Lauren asked, snapping up in her seat, "W-what are you d-"

"You got my text, right?" The A&R clarified.

"Yes, yes! I just didn't understand it."

"Well let me explain." Candece said, plopping onto the other side of the booth, "It seemed like you only cared about your career after we dropped you." She paused, "or well...pretended to." She smirked, crossing her arms slowly.

"What do you mean?!" Lauren asked, "Are you telling me you-"

"Lied? Yes." Cadence grinned, "Think of it as a 'Scared Straight' program but for washed up, elitist artists! Isn't that cool?" She asked sarcastically.

"You cunning bitch." Lauren scoffed, sinking back into her seat.

"Well it worked, didn't it? You're here, you look clean, and you're dressed appropriately." She scanned her eyes up and down her client, "You probably thought that if you agreed with the collab that we'd resign you, huh?"

Lauren nodded slowly, resting her head on her palm.

Candece giggled, rocking back and forth in her seat, "It's the effort that counts."

"That wasn't funny, Candece." Lauren said, "I left so many texts and calls just for you to pop up here and laugh at me."

"It's called character building, Jauregui."

"I think you mean disrespect."

"You've been disrespecting me for months and I haven't said anything." Candece sassed watching Lauren sink her head down again, speechless.

"Exactly." Candece confirmed, tapping her fingers through the menu on their table, "Listen, once Normani gets here, I don't wanna see attitude and I sure as hell don't wanna hear attitude. Be calm and be cordial and maybe you won't feel the need to throw a drink this time. Understand me?"

"Yes." Lauren responded softly.

"Understand me?" Candece repeated loudly.

"Yes!"

"And no drinking and smoking for a while," Candece added, "you should probably pay your rent first."

Lauren nodded before looking through the menu quietly.

"I shouldn't have to act like your mother but I do because I love and care for you, don't forget that."

"I'll try." Lauren whispered. They sat in silence for a few moments, sorting through their menus and occasionally looking for Normani to walk through the door.

“Look alive, here she comes.” Candece commanded while edging out of her seat.

“Candece!” Normani exclaimed, “You made it!” She strutted towards their booth and Lauren’s jaw slacked open. Lauren was too busy trying to make a statement last night and didn’t even recognize how, _attractive_ , Normani was. Her flowy shirt was only halfway buttoned, exposing a lacey black bra top underneath that showed off her chest. Lauren couldn’t move her eyes from _them_.

“Of course I made it,” Candece replied, “We’ve got business to take care of.”

Normani chuckled, causing Lauren to snap her eyes from them, to her beaming smile. As the dark skinned woman took her seat, Lauren sighed deeply. Her initial question to herself was: _How am I going to hold in all of my snarky comments without Candece yelling at me?_ But from the moment her future collaborator sat down in front of her, it drastically changed to: _How am I going to keep my eyes off her boobs?_

“It’s nice to see you again, Lauren.” Normani lied, scooting next to Candece.

“Likewise.” Lauren replied shakily as she struggled to keep her eyes on Normani’s. In between the awkwardly long and uncomfortable gaps of silence, Candece shifted her eyes between the two women, envisioning how they were going to take the next crucial steps in their careers. She tried to make small talk, but of course, the two women replied in short and lifeless one-worded answers. Finally, in the fourth segment of silence, a waitress turned towards their booth with a charming smile.

"What can I get you three to drink?" She asked, shifting her weight onto one leg, popping her hip to the side.

"Water." Normani answered quickly.

"Um," Lauren started, gazing her eyes up and down the alcohol menu, "I'll have a glass of the-"

"Water," Candece interrupted, "she'll have a glass of the water." She arched her eyebrows knowingly at Lauren, "and I'll have an iced tea."

"Two waters and an iced tea coming up!" The waitress scurried out of their sight and the booth, for the fifth time now, stumbled into another disappointing silence.

"I'm just going to be really direct here," Candece began, "I have to be now that this collaboration is in the works. Don't get it confused with me being mean, I just want the best for both of you."

"Of course." Normani said, flipping through the pages of the menu.

"First things first, you two may not like each other right now but you'll have to." Normani and Lauren met eyes again, "Everything, and I mean everything, is going to be joint. The writing, production, live performances, photo shoots, and all that jazz. So you two are gonna have to start liking each other or start acting like it." The waitress stalked along the side of their booth and placed their drinks onto the coasters scattered around the wooden table. As she took their orders, Lauren tried to decipher Candece's words. Normani and Lauren were going to spend a lot of time together and as always, Candece was right: in order to make things work, all three of them will have to cooperate.

The waitress scurried back to the table, quickly dropping off the trio’s drinks and getting their orders and leaving again in a blink of an eye.

"Thankfully,” Candece continued, “the label is giving the both of you one hundred percent creative liberty. I've been working there for almost a decade now and I've never seen that," she praised, "just as long as the execs think it will sell, you two should be able to have a summer hit on your hands." Candece took a sip of her ice tea, "But in order to make this work, there needs a be a bond between you two and I'm not gonna be here all of the time to force you to make that relationship." she articulated, "Remember that this is your song, not mine."

There was a slight pause at the table before Normani broke the silence, "Well, I'll start," she said, inching up in her seat, "I think I didn't get the proper amount of time to fully introduce myself last night."

"Same here." Lauren mumbled, running her fingers along her glass of water and wishing it was something else.

"I was Atlanta-born, New Orleans-raised, and I used to live Houston but I've been in New York for a little over a year now."

"How do you like it here?" Candece asked.

"It's....different, that's for sure." Normani answered with a chuckle, "It's just a little bit too cold for my liking."

"I'm from Miami so I completely understand." Lauren added, drawing her eyes from Normani's chest to her eyes.

"Oh!" Candece gasped, "Did you bring some of your tapes so that Lauren can listen?"

"Ah shoot," Normani cried out, reaching for her purse "I left them at the hotel."

Candece set her glass of iced tea on the table and glared at Normani quizzically, "Wait....what do you mean _hotel_?"

Normani grinned shyly, shifting her eyes between Candece and Lauren, stammering through the response,"New York is expensive...really unnecessarily expensive. I can't afford an apartment here yet so I just live in the cheapest hotels I can find."

"You're kidding me." Candece uttered. Normani shook her head slowly, "I can easily get an apartment, I just wouldn't have enough money to maintain one."

Candece shot up in her seat, instantly radiating with excitement, "I have just the perfect idea!" She winked at Lauren, who rested on her head on her palm, trying to hold her engagement in the conversation.

"You have a spare bedroom, right Lauren?"

"Nope." Lauren snapped. She uncrossed her legs underneath the table and flicked her foot over in Candece's direction in an attempt to stop her from whatever she was implying. As Lauren saw Normani jolt up in her seat, whimpering slightly, color flooded towards her cheeks. Normani glared at her, furrowing her eyebrows angrily while Lauren snapped her eyes back down to the table.

"Well _that_ sure was discreet." Normani taunted sarcastically, leaning back in her seat.

"Yes you do, quit acting stingy." Candece said, ignoring Normani’s sneer comment, "Maybe Normani could move in! That'll be perfect for you two to build a relationship."

"Are you sure about that?" Lauren criticized under her breath.

"Yes, I am sure, Jauregui." Candece bossed, "You have an in-home studio, an extra bedroom, a functional kitchen, and a great view. It's absolutely perfect."

"Yeah but," Lauren contested, looking at Normani "what about the rent? What abo-"

"I said I live in hotels, I didn't say I'm broke." Normani interrupted matter of factly, "I can do my part, without a doubt."

"See?!" Candece emphasized.

Lauren slumped back into her seat, twiddling her fingers around the plastic straw in the glass of water that she didn’t want. If she said no, Candece would ask her why and Lauren would have to make up a shitty lie, and Candece could always detect a shitty lie.The idea was a stretch, without a doubt, but she could not risk her career again. Maybe, Candece was doing this to see how hungry Lauren was. It was obvious that Candece caught her client  in a desperately vulnerable position and in order for her to move on, Lauren needed to be pushed outside of her comfort zone.  It couldn't hurt. Besides, she didn’t have a choice.  

“Why not?” Lauren asked with a fake grin.

“That’s my girl!” Candece cheered, “If all goes well, maybe you two will stop hating each other for no reason.”

“We don’t hate each other.” the two women replied simultaneously.

“Just look at you two!” Candece admitted, “This,” she pointed at them, “has got to stop if you two are gonna get a hit.”

“I’m just trying to be cordial here but honestly, Lauren disrespected me first.”

“Okay, but Normani was the on-”

“I don’t want to hear it, alright?!”  Candece snapped, “The love-hate route is too risky for you to be acting like this. If both of you really want this, you two are gonna have to get buddy buddy really quickly. And if you can’t do that, you better fake it.” she paused, lowering her voice so that no one else in the restaurant would hear, “Both of your labels are counting on this song, and I don’t mean to scare you two but, this cannot fall apart. I don’t want it to fall through because you hate each others guts, you can’t agree on something, or whatever. This _**has** _ to work and this **_has_ ** to blow up. We’re trying to revamp a career and we’re also trying to start one here,” She glared at Lauren, “and it’s not going to work if you won’t get off your high horse, mhm?”

Normani and Lauren nodded slowly.

“I want the both of you to promise me that you will give this project your all.” Candece urged.

“You already know I’m all in.” Normani replied quickly, “It’s your client that needs to keep this promise, not me.”

Lauren sighed deeply, holding back another quick side comment.

“I promise.” she replied, keeping her eyes on Candece’s.

“Good.” Candece affirmed, edging out of her seat, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to use the restroom.” She slid out of the booth and wove her way through the growing crowd in the diner, eventually vanishing from their sight. The table was silent for a few moments as the women avoided eye contact and sipped their water glasses, secretly wishing for time to go faster.

“Lauren,” Normani called plainly, “you better not fuck this up for me.” Lauren sat mute and met Normani’s stern gaze, watching her tap her long nails against her glass of water.

“I won’t.” Lauren replied, “I promise.”

“I’m trusting you on this one,” she paused, grinning genuinely, “roomie.”

Lauren smirked as she took a sip of water, nodding knowingly.

“And just for the record,” Normani added, “my eyes are up here.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School is basically over for me now so expect frequent and consistent updates come this summer. Thanks for all of the feedback as well!  
> hmu if you have ANYTHING to say kordei-pinnock.tumblr.com  
> https://twitter.com/kordeibaybay  
> Also, I've been havin some trouble getting this fic through various fanfic databases so I've settled on posting it on wattpad as well as Archive!


	3. Chapter 3

**_"The best way to destroy your enemy is to make them a friend" -Abraham Lincoln_ **

 

 

_Lauren stuck out from the rest of the crowd. Almost everyone else was black and she was just one small, 19 year old, pale-skinned Latina that wanted to get a fresh producer to help her on her first studio album. Lauren wasn't picky about what she wanted with the album but she knew that she was incapable of the complexity she desired. She was so used to taking care of her music by herself that doing this, although the norm for artists who didn't play instruments nor produce themselves, was extremely out of her comfort zone. Lauren trembled but couldn't sort out if it was from her anxiety or her starvation._

_She immediately caught the eye of a producer who was sitting on the end of the row of stools. He wasn't talking to anyone else, but merely bobbing his head to the muffled bass coming from outside of the VIP section. As Lauren strutted closer to him, he leaned back in his stool with an inviting smile. He looked at her like she was the only one in the room._

_"What brings you here, Miss Jauregui?" He asked seductively._

_"I'm here because I need a little help." Lauren replied, taking a sip from her champagne flute._

_"Are you finally going full R &B?" He wondered, "Because I'll be glad to help." "Not quite," Lauren said, latching her bright green eyes onto his dark brown ones, "But before I talk business, I need a name first." _

_He chuckled softly, bringing a glass of brown liquor to his lips, "Of course." He set the glass down behind him andthen extended his hand to Lauren, "Niko V."_

_"Wait, you're Niko V? As in 'The Deca Tape' Niko V?" The moment he nodded confidently, Lauren knew that this was the kind of producer she was looking for. Lauren had never researched what Niko looked like but she was a huge fan of all of his work. Lauren realized that if she played her cards right, her career could skyrocket overnight and if Niko played his right, he'd have another hit to add to his repertoire._

_"It's so nice to formally meet you, Niko." Lauren said, shaking his hand firmly. "Likewise." He answered, taking his glass from the counter, "I gotta say, right when the 'Ok' EP came out, I couldn't stop listening to it for weeks."_

_"Really?!" Lauren asked surprisingly."Of course, of course," Niko answered, discreetly scanning Lauren's body over and over. The underaged artist, clad in a black skin tight dress with an exposed back, blushed shyly as she finished off her champagne glass._

_"Did you do all of it?" Niko asked.Lauren nodded just as confidently as the 22 year old producer did before, setting her glass beside him, purposefully leaning down a little bit further than necessary. "Then why do you need my help?" Niko pondered with another soft laugh._

_"I need something with your sound. Specifically your sound." Lauren emphasized. Niko's eyebrows shot up fascination."And because you're fine as hell." Lauren added with a sweet smile. Niko grinned meekly, running his fingers along the sleeve of his leather jacket._

  
_"As a true fan of your music, it would be an honor to work with you, Lauren." Niko announced, "And because you're fine, too." He added with a wink._ __________________________________________________________________

For the fifth time that evening, Normani's mixtape blared its opening track in Lauren's in-home studio. The desks that were once riddled with rolling papers and liquor bottles were finally spotless. The stale aroma of weed was hidden under gusts of Febreeze and the floor had been cleared of its mountains of trash. Lauren hadn't moved from her office chair ever since lunch. She helped Normani move into the spare bedroom early that morning and she scrambled to fix up her studio that afternoon, mostly because Candece would scold her if she didn't.

Lauren was alone and sat in front of an empty notebook and a cup filled with fresh ballpoint pens listening intently to her roommate's smooth vocals for the fifth time that day. She thought that maybe if she kept listening, an idea would hit her. However, she had no luck. The more she listened, the more frustrated she became. Thoughts like _'Why couldn't I write a verse like that?'_ or _'I wish I could've come up with that lyric'_ bounced around menacingly through Lauren's mind. It almost hurt to keep listening to someone whose passion radiated throughout everything they did and to be honest, Lauren couldn't sing the way Normani could anymore.

Conflicts grew while Lauren's desires to write diminished completely. You'd think that such rough times would spark a vocal masterpiece but that wasn't the case. After such issues, Lauren hadn't released anything since. In fact, listening to Normani reminded Lauren of older, simpler times, where songwriting wasn't such a chore and her emotions weren't buried underneath her pride.

__________________________________________________________________

_"You're way too stuck on that verse, baby." Niko admitted, inching into the recording booth, "You only get it out when you're in your feelings."_

_Lauren sighed as she turned her head away from her 23 year old boyfriend."But I am in my feelings, Nik." Lauren replied, tapping her fingers on the pop filter set in front of her mic._

_"No you're not." Niko disagreed, quietly shutting the door behind him, "You know I can always tell." He slowly wrapped his muscular arms around Lauren's waist, nestling his chin in the crook of her neck, poking her with his facial hair. As they swayed slowly side to side, Niko suggested, "Maybe if you told me what the damn song was about, I could help you."_

_"You smell good." Lauren moaned, reaching up to twiddle her fingers through Niko's coarse black hair._

_"Don't change the subject now." The couple chuckled, enjoying their newfound privacy in Niko's recording studio._

_"You caught me." Lauren joked with a playful sigh, "I thought I could get away with it."_

_"Now tell me." Niko commanded as he planted soft kisses along Lauren's neck "It's not recording, I promise you."_

_"Shut up." Lauren scoffed, "I'm not entitled to tell you anyways."_

_"You're absolutely right." Niko agreed, "But since you can't, let me just put it into perspective." He unwrapped his arms around her waist as Lauren faced him, brick red in the face. "This is the very last track to your debut album. Let that sink in." Lauren grinned at Niko's comment, it had a beautiful ring to it. Her first album ever was almost done with. She was so close to showing everyone at her label that she's a force to be reckoned with. "You may not sing soul music but damn, have you got some." Niko praised, grazing his hands along Lauren's bare arms, "I feel like you're not taking advantage of that. Half of these bitches out here are just whispering over a guitar loop but you...you've got it." Niko paused, taking a moment to graze his eyes down Lauren's body, biting his lip "and in the all the right places too."_

_"Nik!" Lauren exclaimed, friskily pushing Niko away from her, "Way to steer from the subject!"_

_"You got me." Niko joked, smiling widely, "But for real, if you put those powerful vocals on this track, the album will be perfect. It's gotta come from the heart. Can you do that for me?"_

_"Of course."_

_"Good. As long as you think about the message you want to get out with this song, everything should come naturally, trust me." he paused, watching Lauren purse her lips together in deep thought, "Do what you have to do. Take a moment to envision the situation and put that through the mic."_

_Lauren tapped her nails on the pop filter again, nodding slower than before. The recording booth fell into a deep silence as Niko watched the younger woman travel through her thoughts._

_"Ready?" he asked._

_"Ready." Niko leaned forward and pecked his girlfriend on the forehead before turning towards the doorway._

_"This is your album and if you want to take it all, you've got to give it your all." He reminded before he slid through the door, leaving Lauren to her thoughts. Before she knew it, the electronic metronome was counting her in, throwing her back into the final song. Lauren filled herself with the passion that Niko admired and as she breathed for her first line, she nearly overflowed with fiery enthusiasm. Little did she know, the vocals she gave in that final take would spark her meteoric rise._

__________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

"Oh god, what the fuck is that smell?!" Lauren complained, emerging from the studio door.

"It'll go away soon, I promise!" Normani answered over the hiss coming from the kitchen, "It's just the base."

"The base?" Lauren asked, striding down the hallway towards her roommate's voice, "The base of what?"

"The gumbo!" Normani said, meeting Lauren's eyes as she continued to stir the mixture of food in a steel pot.

"Oh," Lauren responded softly, leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms, "I thought you...." her sentence trailed off to a silence. Lauren never thought she would see someone as attractive and as scantily-clad as Normani cooking dinner for her. Lauren hadn't even acknowledged how muscular she was until then. Her jaw slacked open as she watched her roommate stir the pot with her toned arms, watching her chest, clad in a snug pink sports bra, bounce along with the force. Lauren put her thumb to her bottom lip as she moved her eyes down, gawking at Normani's abs, which twinkled with a belly button ring towards the bottom and she almost drooled when she noticed how skin tight and accentuating the darker girl's spandex shorts were. It had only been seconds, but she had already forgotten what she was about to say.

"You thought what?" Normani asked, turning her head to her roommate. Lauren shook out of her trance, standing up straight and yanking her eyes off of Normani's ass.

"I t-thought that you were kidding w-when you said you'd get groceries and cook dinner." Lauren stammered in a strained breath.

"Well, one thing you need to know about me is that I stay true to my word." Normani said, turning towards the freshly-stocked spice cabinet, carefully scanning its shelves. Lauren ignored her roommate's comment as she walked past counters covered with sliced sausages, peeled shrimp, and diced crab meat to open the fridge. "And now that we're roommates and all, you're gonna have to stop glaring at me like I'm a slab of meat." Normani commanded. Lauren groaned uncomfortably. She got caught....again.

"How'd you ev-"

"You have a wandering eye, Jauregui." She turned to Lauren as she held up the wooden spoon like a sword, "And I have eyes in the back of my head." Normani snarled jokingly as she brought the spoon back out the pot, and slid a cutting board of shrimp into it. Lauren sighed as she yanked an expensive bottle of wine from the fridge, wishing that she had stayed in the studio.

"You haven't come out of the studio all day, did you get anything done in there?"

"Uh huh." Lauren lied.

"Anything good?" Normani asked, reaching over Lauren to grab at another spice.

"Eh." Lauren replied with a shrug, trying to keep her cool in the close proximity to Normani. She turned to pull a wine glass from the rack set on top of the fridge. Normani poured the last cutting board of meat into the pot and put on its lid, ignoring Lauren's unenthusiastic response as she swaggered to the sink to wash off her hands. Lauren grabbed her full glass of wine and said carelessly, "I'll be in the living room," She walked past the kitchen's half wall and added, "Help yourself to some wine if you'd like."

" _The_ Lauren Jauregui?!" Normani gasped, freezing at the sink. "Offering to share her precious alcohol with a flop like me?! I guess I _am_ having a positive effect on you!"

"Ha ha ha." Lauren said sarcastically, "Very fucking funny, Kordei."

"I try, I try." Normani said, bowing proudly.

"I know you do." Lauren scoffed plainly, plopping down on her expensive leather couch and reaching for the television remote.

"I'll be glad to take you up on your offer, though." Normani said, grabbing another wine glass,"You probably never let people drink your alcohol, this is a once and a lifetime opportunity!"

"Cut it out." Lauren groaned as she leaned back onto the couch.

"Alright, alright." Normani repeated, inching out of the kitchen, "My bad." Lauren took an unnecessarily large gulp of wine as she flipped through the channels. It had been less than one day and Normani was pummelling her with comebacks. It would take Lauren a second to decipher it then almost immediately, she'd blush and clench her fists defeatedly. But, she vowed to Candece and to herself that she would ignore it: they still had work to do and Lauren didn't want Normani's commentary to affect her career as negatively as it did before.

"Candece was totally right, about this view," Normani said, "It's gorgeous. I feel like I can see the whole city from here." She carefully set her glass of wine on a coaster as she gazed out of the window. The glint of the setting sun was perfectly blocked by the television, but every building practically shined with the warm colors of the sunset.

"It was the reason I bought this place." Lauren admitted, setting her feet on top of her coffee table. Normani slowly sat down next to Lauren on the leather loveseat, purposefully separating herself by at least one whole foot.

"How long have you been living here?"

"Almost two years." Lauren answered unenthusiastically, "This is my first place, to be honest with you."

"Where did you live before then?"

"Ah, just," Lauren paused, "Around."

"So like me?"

"Well, not at hotels," Lauren clarified, "I stayed with Candece when I first relocated. Then I stayed with a few friends I had up here, and then I lived with my ex for a long while, and then I found this place." Normani nodded her head understandably."But I spent a whole year touring and doing press in Los Angeles so I was hardly in New York for a long time." Lauren paused again to take another sip of wine, "This is the longest I've actually stayed here, though. I'm not touring or doing presswork as much as I used to."

As much as Normani wanted to say something slick and unnecessary, she nodded her head again. The way Lauren held herself seemed weaker than before and Normani didn't want to disturb that, especially since they were co-workers for now. Normani could detect the wistfulness coming from Lauren's eyes and she knew that it was their responsibility to fix that.

"But you will be soon!" Normani exclaimed in an attempt to draw a smile out of her roommate.

"Yeah, you're right." Lauren replied with a grin. The sounds of the television and their frequent sips of wine luckily filled in for the awkward silences they always had. But, thankfully, it didn't feel as uncomfortable as before.

"I...I was just listening to your mixtape today." Lauren stammered.

"What did you think?" Normani asked with a shy smile.

"That's what I really wanted to talk to you about," she answered, adjusting herself so that she faced her roommate. Normani rolled her tongue on her cheek, groaning uncomfortably.

"No no no," Lauren contested, "It was good! It was amazing, actually! I just wanted to applaud you on it."

"Really?" Normani asked, raising her eyebrows excitedly.

"Really. All bitchy-ness aside, it's great. I loved every little run and almost every lyric. You have to put something from there onto your first album, you just have to."

"Aw, Lauren, thank you!" Normani gushed, bouncing up and down on the cushion, "I thought you'd be petty and make up something to complain about!" Lauren scoffed playfully, reaching for her wine glass again."I was thinking about adding one or two songs onto the album, but I still want to make new things, you know?"

"Of course, of course." Lauren took a long sip of wine, "What's the status on it? Is it still in development or is it just about finished?"

"It's almost done," Normani answered, "I have studio time tomorrow afternoon to record one more song then I have meetings until dinner."

"Has the hectic schedule gotten to you yet?" Lauren asked, eagerly leaning in.

"Over all, it's just very motivating. It motivates me to do more, to promote myself, and to listen to my followers. It's more gratifying if anything." Lauren nodded enthusiastically. Normani reminded her of a hyper puppy dog, excited over simple things. The way her smile spread across her lips and how she spoke with such undeniable passion was contagious: before Lauren knew it, she was nodding and smiling just like Normani.

"Now I'm really excited!" Normani cried out, "I just wanna get right into our song."

"We can start tonight, if you'd like." Lauren suggested, tilting her head to the direction of her studio.

"Yes, yes!" Normani replied, inching off of the couch, "We c-" The obnoxiously loud kitchen timer cut off her words. "That was fast," Normani said, getting up from the couch. Lauren pursued her lips together as she tried not to stare at Normani's ass again.

"Is it okay if we eat dinner in the studio?" Normani asked, pointing to the stove.

"Of course," Lauren answered, avoiding eye contact, "I'll go get everything set in there."

"Perfect, I'll make you a bowl." Normani said, excitedly scuttling to her pot in the kitchen. Lauren sighed in relief as Normani left her sight: she never found it so hard to keep her eyes off of someone until now. Lauren grabbed the wine bottle and glasses and trailed off into the studio. She didn't feel as disappointed and regretful as she did when she first left, something about the way Normani projected her hunger for what she was doing made Lauren change her mind about her and about her music. Lauren hoped that the feeling stuck with her for these next few days.

As Lauren sped into the studio, she set the wine down on her desk and immediately hopped onto her computer. She already had an idea of what she wanted to sing over and she did not want to forget it.

"I didn't know if you liked hot sauce or not so I just brought the bottle with me." Normani said, using her leg to close the door behind her.

"I love spicy food," Lauren replied leaning up from her MacBook, "I'm Cuban, so it's in my blood."

"Ah, I didn't know that." Normani set down the bowls of gumbo and the bottle of hot sauce onto the workstation desk, "So you can speak Spanish?"

"Mmhm, it's my first language."

"Well we might just have to incorporate that into the single, then."

"Maybe." Lauren pondered, reaching for her bowl of gumbo.

"Your studio is really nice, by the way." Normani said, plopping onto the other office chair gathering dust in the back. As she inched up towards the desk, she admired the artwork and historic accolades that covered Lauren's studio walls. Songs of Lauren's, songs Lauren co-wrote, and songs that Lauren produced were all framed with either gold or platinum certificates. Lauren's debut album, her most successful piece of work to date, was framed right in the center, showing off its double platinum plate. Normani nearly gasped when she spotted it and could barely believe that Lauren's peak was that successful. She even closed her eyes and imagined her future mansion covered with certificates and awards like the ones Lauren had, perhaps accolades even better than Lauren's.

"Oh my god, Normani. This gumbo is delicious." Lauren moaned, hunched over her bowl.

"It's from a really old family recipe, so I had to get special ingredients." Normani said, "Is it too salty to you?"

"No, not at all. It's perfect." Lauren shoved spoonful after spoonful into her mouth, disregarding the hot sauce stinging her tongue.

"Phew, alright." Normani sighed, refilling her glass of wine.

"Thank you so much for cooking, by the way. You didn't have to go out of your way to get groceries an-"

"It was the least I could do." Normani interrupted, "I just needed something home cooked. Anything better than shitty hotel buffets and takeout. Besides, your fridge was empty and I didn't want to starve."

"Yeah, I've kind of been living off of microwave meals for a while, I'll admit that." Lauren shook her head with a giggle.

"Well let's get down to business, shall we?" Normani said, scooting closer to the workstation, "Whatcha got?"

Lauren set down her bowl of gumbo and continued to click on her MacBook, trying to ignore her burning mouth, "I had some old beats I haven't used before but I'd much rather start with targeting the sound we want."

"If we need it to blow up, I think we should go for an upbeat summer hit. That could definitely get us where we need to be." Normani said, clinking her spoon on the inside of her bowl, "unless you've got a better strategy."

Lauren tapped her finger on her chin and added, "We should probably focus on subject matter first, since we still don't know each other." Normani nodded, scooting away from the desk, "I just know that you can cook a mean gumbo and you used to live in hotels. We'll just have to dig a little deeper to figure each other out and get some lyrics down. Sound good?"

"Perfect."

The two women ended up talking all night. They discussed their favorite genres, artists, and albums for what felt like hours. As they inhaled Lauren's wine and Normani's gumbo, they shared exactly what they wanted for their collaboration, and if the cooperation continued, it was bound to be a success.

\----------------------------------------------- Lauren checked her phone for the third time within two minutes. Normani was officially three hours late to their session. They quickly agreed on an eight o'clock meeting in the studio after Normani's meetings and photo shoots and Lauren knew for a fact that wouldn't have been a problem, especially since the studio is inside the loft. But once again, Normani surprised her and had yet to come home. She didn't even bother sending a quick text message to Lauren, which made Lauren absolutely furious.

Lauren tried to keep her mind off of it by killing time on her computer, but it wouldn't suffice. She even tried to get started on the song without her, but it wasn't quite right. Out of frustration, she even reached into her secret weed stash, but got sidetracked as she heard the front door creak open.

"Where the hell have you been?!"

"Ssshhhh." Normani hushed quietly, stumbling through the doorway, "you're so loud."

"I think I have a right to be! You're three hours late!" Normani held her heels in hand and had her head tilted downwards. She passed Lauren in the hallway, pushing into her shoulder in the process.

"Excuse you?!" Lauren turned over to her roommate, clenching her jaw angrily.

"Huh?"

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

Normani giggled, lifting up her head slowly, "Hell yeah" Lauren rolled her eyes and groaned frustratedly, running her fingers through her jet black hair.

"Well can you at least explain to me why you were three hours late to our meeting?!"

"My phone died, quit overreacting." Normani groaned, dropping her heels to the ground.

"If we agree on something we have to stick to it!" Lauren yelled, "We are on a tight schedule and we don't have time for miscommunication.

Normani scoffed, placing her hand on the shelf beside the door for support, "You're just mad because I'm making moves and you aren't." she grumbled.

"I'm not mad abou-"

"Yeah you are." Normani interrupted, lazily pointing her finger towards the green eyed woman, "You're out to get me because you're jealous!"

"No!" Lauren contested, smacking Normani's hand out of her face, "I just want to make it work."

"You wouldn't be yelling in my fucking face if you just wanted to make it wo-"

"I need to yell because I'm pissed, Normani!" Lauren stomped her foot into the ground, "I'm pissed because we had a plan and you went against it without warning. You just kept doing whatever you were out there doing without letting me know and we won't get jack shit done if this keeps happening!"

Normani inched closer to Lauren and started giggling in her face. She got so close, Lauren could almost taste the alcohol on her breath

"I think that's funny." Normani said, placing her hand on Lauren's shoulder.

"Why?" Lauren asked, much quieter than before.

"This is the same shit Candece roasted your ass about, huh? Not taking shit seriously, right?"

"Shut up."

"No no no no no!" Normani repeated, still giggling, "I find it funny because I know that when I wake up tomorrow, even though I won't remember half of this shit, I know that I'll have work to do...and I know that I'll do it. But you...you just sat on your ass and got even more drunk than before. _That's_ where we're different, Lauren."

"Don't you dare go there." Lauren warned, clenching her fists.

"It's only the truth." Normani whispered, stepping even closer to Lauren. She giggled again as she noticed how dark her roommate's face had gotten, "But on the bright side, you're kinda hot when you're pissed." Normani shoved past Lauren and stumbled towards her room, groaning, humming, and chuckling to her room.

"I'll be in your studio at 11 tomorrow." Normani babbled as she left Lauren's sight.

Lauren rubbed her temples as she shut her front door in disbelief. Even when Normani was hammered, she could still check her.

"God _damn_ she's good." Lauren whispered to herself.

Lauren ended up spending most of the night angry. Mostly, she was angry at herself. Those kind of thoughts were now typical, especially since Normani was with her almost all of the time. They were so different when it came to how they approached their careers and it made Lauren envious and conflicted, so much so that she couldn't even sleep. In the past, every time Lauren would get that angry, she'd order some takeout, listen to music, and end up passing out on the floor with a bottle of Hennessy in her hands. But now, she resorted to wandering around the loft. She did random, unnecessary chores to keep her mind off of those type of things, dusting her bookcases and shelves or organizing one of her kitchen cabinets. It was an interesting alternative, but it was doing the trick until she became sleepy.

The muffled sounds of the New York streets below were somewhat therapeutic, especially since they were all Lauren heard. All of the lights were off and Lauren was left to her thoughts. But then a new sound caught her attention. It was too soft to come from where she was sat in the living room, but it was too loud to come from outside. Lauren slowly rose from her loveseat and cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out who or what was making the noise. She tip-toed towards her hallway, praying that the subtle cracks in the hardwood floor wouldn't disturb the sound. At first, Lauren assumed it was the heater, but she knew that was a lot louder than what she heard. Then, she thought it was her computer, but the sound she heard was way too...lively.Once Lauren reached the hallway, it had finally dawned on her: the sound was coming from Normani's room. It easily could've been her babbling to herself, but it was way too early in the morning now for her to still be that kind of drunk.

Out of sheer curiosity, Lauren cautiously approached her doorway, noticing a wide crack of the door. As she got closer and closer, the sound became much more distinct.

  
_"Mm........Fuck......Shit"_ was all Lauren could decipher in between intensely heavy breaths. So, she inched closer toward the gap of the door. Lauren's jaw slacked open. She blinked repeatedly just to confirm what she was seeing. Normani's eyes were shut, with one hand underneath her comforter that had slid down to her hipbone exposing her bare breasts. Her other hand was draped over her head as she bit the inside of her bicep in an attempt to keep quiet. However, it was obvious that it wasn't working.

Lauren froze in place. She just couldn't keep her eyes off of her roommate, even though she knew that she should have just turned around and gone back to her room.

_"I'm....I'm gonna.....La...Shit."_

As slick sounds reached Lauren's ears, she bit her lip and squeezed her thighs together so tightly that she almost tumbled forward. It felt like a dream come true but from the looks of it, Lauren was obviously not meant to be seeing this. She'd had been unsuccessfully stealing glances at Normani's ass or breasts lately but this reached a whole new level of voyeurism and Lauren didn't really want back down from it.

Suddenly, Normani's back arched off of the bed. She began to spasm wildly, keeping her eyes shut as she groaned, _"La..Lauren"_ Lauren immediately deeply exhaled a short burst of air through her nostrils instinctively. That was **her** name Normani was moaning. It was so quiet yet so erotic it almost made Lauren come instantly.

"Oh god." Lauren hissed before quickly turning away from Normani's bedroom and back down the dark hallway, dizzy with arousal.

\--------------------------

A/N: This was supposed to come out Thursday but it didn't amidst the Harmonizer Revolution of 2015 mostly because I slicked hated them . I didn't realize how long it was until I reread it though so I guess this chapter is a Memorial Day present for all of the US readers. Everyone else....happy Monday :)

hmu on twitter https://twitter.com/kordeibaybay OR tumblr http://kordei-pinnock.tumblr.com/ for feedback. let me know how you feel, I'm not THAT sensitive.

Expect regular updates, too! It's about to get real hoe-y real quick!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was supposed to come out Thursday but it didn't amidst the Harmonizer Revolution of 2015 mostly because I slicked hated them . I didn't realize how long it was until I reread it though so I guess this chapter is a Memorial Day present for all of the US readers. Everyone else....happy Monday :)  
> hmu on twitter https://twitter.com/kordeibaybay OR tumblr http://kordei-pinnock.tumblr.com/ for feedback. let me know how you feel, I'm not THAT sensitive.  
> Expect regular updates, too! It's about to get real hoe-y real quick!


	4. Chapter 4

_**"Two people of similar nature can never get along, it takes two opposites to harmonize."** _

 

 

_The blaring music quickly cut to silence as the audience roared with applause. Normani held her final pose as she eyed the roaming cameras, refusing to move until the cue for commercial. Even though her lungs were screaming for air and her thighs burned, she stood still._

_"And," the boisterous creative director yelled, "Cut! Three minutes commercial time!"_

_Normani carefully wiped the sweat from her brow and scurried off of the award show stage. Her first "big-time" performance was absolutely perfect. She hit every mark and move so perfectly that she knew the audience took note of her. She had excelled at her superficial reason for being at the BET awards, and now she could start on the true reason she had applied for the job in the first place: getting her name out there. Her manager was pulling some strings to get her into a few after-parties, she was determined to make her mark with important industry people._

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa," a deep voice called, causing Normani to stop in the crowded stage wings, "Where do you think you're going?"_

_Normani turned to a tall, dark man with a beaming white smile and a cleanly-shaven face. Solely judging from how he looked, Normani inferred that he was a somebody around here. So, she wanted to beat him at his own game._

_"Out." Normani replied plainly._

_"You're so busy you can't talk to me?"_

_"I think I can make some time." Normani said with an inviting smirk, "But I've only got two minutes."_

_"That's just enough for me." the man replied, stepping closer to the 20 year-old, "What's your name?"_

_"Normani."_

_"Well Miss Normani, you did your thing out there." Normani giggled coyly as the man continued, "I've never seen dancing like that in such a long time. Actually, you know who was the last person I saw who could dance just like you?"_

_"Who?"_

_"Janet."_

_Normani chuckled as she playfully tapped the man on his shoulder, "You're barely a day over 24, I bet you weren't even born when Janet's dancing talents were discovered."_

_They both laughed as the man answered, "You're right, you're right," he paused to take another look at Normani's rather provocative costume, "But for real, you're exactly what I'm looking for."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You've got it, baby girl. Something about you screams star power."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes, really." the young man continued with a smile, "Maybe we can talk about it at the after party downtown tonight."_

_"I'll look at my schedule." Normani replied with a wink. She quickly turned away from the man, swaying her hips a lot slower than usual. Normani could practically feel his eyes on her and she knew that she'd already reeled him in. She was now most certainly confident that her singing career could come to fruition._

\---

 

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Normani asked, tapping a ballpoint pen on the workstation. Lauren sat silent, ignoring her roommate as she stared at a fresh lyric sheet.

"I brought you breakfast and you haven't even touched it, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Lauren replied meekly, "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Normani asked, "You're contributing and all but we're not really connecting here."

"No, it's fine, I promise." Lauren assured, "I....I just had a rough night."

 

Rough was an understatement to say the least. Images of Normani in Lauren's spare bedroom, arching her back and moaning her name was all she could think about. When Normani brought her breakfast from her favorite diner early in the morning, she couldn't even look at her in the eyes. A part of her wanted to pounce on her roommate, while the other wanted to forget everything she'd witnessed. Lauren tried her best to concentrate on her work but nothing really came to mind except for Normani's heavy breaths and quiet moans.

"You could at least eat something!" Normani urged, shoving a takeout box of scrambled eggs and waffles towards the green-eyed women, "I'm sure that'll get the creative juices flowing."

  
_"Those aren't the only kind of juices flowing"_ Lauren thought to herself, biting her lip to hold in a laugh. Lauren picked around her plate with her fork, fiddling with the food but never taking it out of the box and eating it.

"Eating your food and playing with it are two different things, Lauren."

Lauren sighed exasperatedly as she sat back into her office chair, "Just forget it, Normani."

"Are you...are you still pressed about last night?"

Lauren nearly jolted up about her seat. Did Normani know about Lauren's eavesdropping?

"W-What about last night?!" Lauren stuttered a lot louder than she intended.

"When I came home late." Normani replied quietly, tilting her head downwards

"Oh," she paused, regretting her strong initial reaction, "I'm surprised you remember it," Lauren said, "You were pretty hammered."

Normani laughed softly, bearing her white teeth before leaning back into the chair.

"And to answer your question," Lauren started, "No. I was overreacting, that's all. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I was just...curious."

"Now," Lauren paused in an attempt to compose herself, "About this song."

"Right, right, right," Normani started, clearing her throat, "The song."

"I had a few lyrics down earlier but I want to get your opinion on them before I give you the entire draft." Lauren started as she began to scribble on her lyric sheet.

"I'm all ears." Normani replied, sitting up in her chair.

"Tell me what you think about these," Lauren peered down at her lyric sheet, simultaneously clearing her throat, "You told me you loved me, so why did you leave me all alone? Now you tell me you need me when you call me on the phone. Boy, I refuse, you must have me confused with some other girl. Your bridges are burned and now it's your turn to cry me a river."

Normani pulled her bottom lip with her teeth, thinking of a way to word out her response.

"Hm, I like the wording" she started slowly, "But what's the context?"

Lauren switched her gaze in between Normani's eyes and the sheet of paper in her hands, puzzled by her roommate's questionable response, "I-It's about getting someone back after they've cheated on you." Lauren replied sharply, "Well, that's what I would like to make it about."

"Oh," Normani replied softly, "Okay." she leaned back in her seat, openly unwilling to respond.

"Your opinion on it would be helpful," Lauren implied, "This could potentially be our song it wouldn't kill you if you're honest about it."

"You sure?"

"Obviously."

Normani sighed, leaning forwards in her chair, twiddling another pen in her fingers, "It's just not my type of thing." she stated plainly, "it just seems a bit melodramatic."

"Melodramatic?" Lauren reiterated, slowly sitting up in her seat.

"Yeah, it's just.." Normani's voice slowly trailed off as she rolled her tongue in her cheek, thinking of a way to rephrase her critique, "Have you ever been cheated on?"

"Yeah." Lauren replied meekly.

"Did he happen to work in the industry?"

"Yeah." Lauren whispered even quieter than before.

"Well there you go!" Normani announced, sitting back in her chair with a wide smile, "Those lyrics are just stating the obvious."

"What do you mean?"

"Industry dudes will be industry dudes and a song can't change that."

Lauren cocked her head to the side as she answered in a soft chuckle, "I know you aren't excusing cheating...are you?"

"Only in that case, though." Normani replied confidently.

"You can't be serious." Lauren said, "I can't believe you're doing this right now, Normani."

"I'm just saying guys like that are never ever faithful so it's best to let them do what they do best." Normani paused, "They're always out of your reach whether they're in a studio or touring the world and they're bound to fuck some other chick when you're not there it's...it's-"

"Absolute bullshit!" Lauren protested, "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard in my entire life."

"I was gonna say common sense b-"

"No, no, no," Lauren interrupted, "Cheating is all wrong, whether you're in the business or you're not." The impenetrable expression plastered on Normani's face wouldn't budge as Lauren continued, "What if you had a boyfriend who was in the industry, he went on a long successful world tour, and had sex with girls that he didn't know all over the world and came back with _international_ STDs? Who is the one who's vagina will burn off the next time you two have sex? Yours!"

"I'll just make sure he brings condoms."

"You can still get STDs with condoms on, Normani!" Lauren yelled, throwing her pen down in the process, "God you're acting so nonchalant about this it's pissing me off!"

"I'm just stating an opinion."

"Well your opinion is bullshit."

"What you did was bullshit!" Normani retorted sharply, "You're the one who's dumbass didn't think her sweet little boyfriend would cheat. You didn't suspect a thing it seems, and look what he did...he cheated and now you're making microwave meals, still butthurt about it."

"You know what?" Lauren started, scooting out of her seat, "I'm out of here."

"Yeah, run away from your only hope for a career." Normani replied sarcastically.

"Who hurt you so bad to make you think that way?" Lauren hissed as she shot up from her office chair, dramatically flinging her breakfast takeout box onto the floor.

"Wasn't gonna eat that shit anyways." Lauren grumbled under her breath.

Lauren could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and the last thing she wanted was for Normani to see. So, she stormed out of her loft, stomping past her disgruntled roommate and out of the door.

 

\--

_Lauren excitedly hopped out of a black, tinted SUV, basking in the fresh Malibu breeze. She pulled her suitcase behind her as she carried an expensive bottle of champagne in her other hand, scurrying up the driveway towards the private beachhouse._

_Her spontaneous visit was in fact off the whim. Once she found out that her debut album reached number one on the charts **and** sold double platinum in the same week, she just had to book a flight to celebrate with the other artist responsible for her success, who was also known as her longtime boyfriend, Niko V. She knew that Niko liked to be busy and secluded with his newer projects but Lauren also knew that once he saw that she would be staying at his private Malibu beach house for the weekend, he would be more than fine with her "alleviating" his stress. _

 

 

_Lauren was highly committed to surprising her man in every aspect. So, before she left New York, she willingly splurged on the sexiest, most expensive lingerie set that she could find. Lauren wore it underneath a plain t-shirt and sweatpants but changed into a thick winter trench coat, hoping that the SUV's windows were tinted just enough to cover her from prying eyes while she ripped off her clothes in the backseat._

 

_Lauren grabbed the spare key Niko gave her the last time she spent the night and reached for the doorknob. She rested her hand with the bottle of champagne on the door frame, readying herself for her enticing grand entrance. As Lauren kicked the door open with the platform of her high heel, she nearly dropped the sparkling wine out of sheer shock._

_Niko, her longtime boyfriend stood shirtless with a pair of basketball shorts bunched around his ankles, aggressively yanking the brunette hair of some unknown woman, ramming himself into her over the white couch Lauren bought for him as a welcoming gift._

 

 

_"Who the fuck is this?!" Lauren roared, causing Niko to cease his rough sexual escapade. Niko and the woman caught Lauren's eyes as their jaws slacked. As Lauren began to stomp through the foyer and towards the couch, Niko quickly slid out of the unknown and pulled up his shorts, terrified for what Lauren was about to do._

 

_Lauren first jerked on the brunette's hair, making her skinny body almost fly off of the couch with Lauren's force._

_"Lauren!" Niko yelled, pulling on his girlfriend's bicep, "Don't hurt Camila, it's not her fault."_

_"I come here to see you fucking some other girl and that's the first thing you tell me?!" Lauren belted, bringing her champagne bottle over her head, preparing herself to thrash it into her boyfriend's skull._

_"Babe, no! I-I can explain!" Niko said, yanking the bottle out of Lauren's grip, "Let me explain."_

_"There isn't a lot of explaining to do, I think what you were doing was pretty fucking clear." Lauren pushed Niko's bare chest away from her as she tried to scavenge the beachhouse for something to throw at the cheat._

_"No, no, no, no, Lauren, I was just-"_

_"You were just what?!" Lauren hissed walking backwards towards his fireplace, "Cheating on me?!"_

_Lauren reared back to a corner, discreetly pulling out a poker included in a fireplace tool set which she also bought for him as hot tears began to well in her eyes. Niko stood still, stammering a half-assed excuse or explanation._

_"I can't fucking believe you!" Lauren yelled as she swung the poker against Niko's shoulders. He sprung back and swore, grasping his collarbone while gritting his teeth._

_"I bought you that couch you were fucking that bitch on!" Lauren spat, "And I bought this too!" she added, lifting up the fireplace poker before swinging it at Niko again, this time hitting him in the groin, causing him to crash onto the wooden floor, cupping his crotch in searing pain._

_"Fuck, Lauren!"_

_"My songs got you this beachhouse! Every inch of what you have in this house is because of me and you go out and treat me like this?! Go to hell."_

_Lauren swung the tool again as Niko rocked on the floor from side to side, screaming a vile compilation of swear words mixed in with shitty apologies._

_"Fuck you, Niko!" Lauren screamed, throwing the poker down onto the floor. She stormed out the foyer and added, "And fuck you too, Catherine!"_

_"It's Camila." the woman replied softly_

_"Fuck you, anyways!" Lauren belted before slamming the beach house door and stomping back down the driveway as she began to sob profusely._

 

\--

After a short 15 minutes, Lauren decided to return to the loft, a lot calmer than when she left. Once again, she had let her emotions get ahead of her job and once she realized this, she reentered her living area, ridden with self-hating thoughts. Once she came back, Normani bombarded her with sincere apologies where she mentioned how she openly regretted acting insensitive towards Lauren's situation and how she was currently going through various conflicts which she was trying to avoid addressing that unintentionally influenced her rude response from earlier in the morning. Lauren quickly accepted her apology while the pair of artists agreed to avoid that subject matter in their collaboration to avoid more arguments and unnecessary drama in the future.

 

"Thanks again for taking me out to this place," Lauren repeated as she tied her plush bathrobe around her waist, "I think this is exactly what I need."

"Consider it a therapeutic peace offering, Lauren," Normani replied kindly, piling her clothes into a spa locker, "And besides, I think we both could use a massage."

"You're damn right about that." Lauren chuckled.

"Ah, shoot," Normani hissed, pulling her vibrating phone out of her bathrobe pocket, "I should probably turn my phone off." She peered at its touchscreen, arching her eyebrow seductively, "I-I'll meet you in the room though, I've gotta take this."

"Alright," Lauren replied, dismissing Normani's obvious change in behavior, "I'll be in our room then."

Normani nodded with a smile as watched Lauren exit the private bathroom. Normani then pulled her phone up to her ear, giddy with excitement.

"Hey, baby!" Normani answered.

"There she is." the deep voice greeted, "How's New York, my Manibear?"

Normani scoffed playfully, "You know I hate that nickname, Niko."

"But I think it's absolutely adorable," Normani's boyfriend disagreed, "And you're just gonna have to deal with that."

"I guess so."

"So any new projects coming up?"

"There is one...a collab."

"With who?"

"Do you remember a Lauren Jauregui?" Normani asked, fiddling with her bathrobe.

"Who?" Niko asked sharply.

"Lauren Jauregui. She had a huge album about two years ago. She has really pretty green eyes and a deep, raspy voice...I can't believe you don't know her, she's amazing." Normani beamed.

"Oh, I've heard snippets here and there," Niko lied, "But I've never sat down and listened to her."

"Well you should." Normani urged.

"And what have you and this Lauren done so far?"

"Yeah, about that," Normani trailed, sitting on the corner of a marble sink "Nothing yet. I'm kind of surprised we're getting along ever since I moved in her loft, though."

"You two live together?!"

"I've been there for a few days but damn it's nice, Niko. The view is so beautiful."

Niko ignored Normani's comments as he continued, "Well what's your guys' issue?"

Normani sighed as she recounted all of her and Lauren's disagreements, "We click every once in a while, I'll just say that. I'm sure we'll make something good."she paused in an attempt to steer from the subject, "And what about you, Mr. Big Time, how's the Minaj album coming along?"

Niko fake-laughed at Normani's nickname, "It's almost done actually."

"So if you finish in time you could visit us? I bet you and Lauren would get along so well."

Niko paused before responding, "How so?"

"I can't pinpoint it yet but something about her personality reminds me of yours."

Niko paused once again, ignoring Normani's commentary once again, "Well, I've got to get back into the studio to make some final touches. I probably won't be able to Facetime you until tomorrow, though."

"That's fine," Normani replied quickly, "I understand your work schedule, Mr. Big Time."

Niko chuckled, "I'll talk to you later, Normani."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

"Bye."

Normani sighed as she took her phone from her ear, grinning widely. For the first time in her life, Normani felt like one of those power couples that she always read gossip articles about. _"Big-time producer, Niko V and the talented songstress, Normani Kordei"_ had such a ring to it, Normani couldn't stop repeating it in her head. It was infatuating, almost addicting to the 21 year-old which caused her smile to plaster onto her face as she exited the private bathroom and swayed across the hall to her massage room.

She was greeted by a gust of refreshingly humid air that spilled out of the door after she'd opened it. The masseuse had already started on Lauren as she readjusted the miniscule scrap of towel that was wrapped around her hips, which rode up high enough so that it exposed the bottom of her asscheeks, which made Normani almost drool. Unlike Lauren, Normani was quite successful at stealing glances whenever Lauren would walk away, she even caught herself staring after their terrible argument from that morning. But this was a much more intense caliber of peeping it almost felt wrong. Normani's gazed switched between Lauren's bottom and her massage table to her table, before she quickly unraveled herself from her bathrobe.

"Normani, is that you?" Lauren asked.

"Y-yeah." Normani stammered with a subtle voice crack, climbing onto her massage table, "My bad, I really had to take that call."

"No, no, no, it's fine," Lauren reassured, "I completely understand."

"I hope you don't fall asleep or anything." Normani joked, "I still don't know if you snore or not."

"Don't worry," Lauren replied with a soft chuckle, "I'm not."

As the other masseuse began to rub on Normani's bare body, she continued, "So when was the last time you went a spa?"

"God, a long time ago, I know that," Lauren replied, "My mother, sister, and I went for Mother's Day when I was about," she paused, "Hm, about 16 or 15, I don't really remember."

"I didn't know you had siblings."

"I'm the oldest of three. There's my brother Chris, who's just about 20 and in college."

"Aw," Normani sighed adoringly, "What's his major?"

"Latin American Studies," Lauren stated proudly, "And my sister, Taylor, she's about...." she paused in contemplation, "s-she should be....hm" Lauren stopped again, "Well that's pretty pitiful I don't remember how old my own fucking sister is."

"It'll come to you," Normani assured, "When was the last time you visited them? Since remembering ages was pretty hard for you I assume you haven't seen them in m-"

"Almost two years now."

Normani gasped, "Really?!"

"Mhm," Lauren vocalized, "I was so busy promoting and getting my album out there, it was a lot to try to visit them."

"You should always make time for your family, Lauren," Normani advised, "They're the ones that got you here, right?"

"Yeah," Lauren replied softly, "They just think I'm this evil asshole that couldn't give a shit about where they came from when I've really just been...excruciatingly busy."

"But you haven't been doing anything lately, how come you didn't go visit them then?"

"I'm broke, Normani."

"They couldn't fly you down?"

"I...I..I um.." Lauren stuttered, "I actually hadn't asked."

"Why?"

"I don't want them to know." Lauren answered quieter than ever, "I grew up to be the breadwinner and now that there's nothing coming in, I don't want to disappoint them, especially my dad."

"Mhm." Normani replied, desperately trying to hold in saying anything that would upset Lauren.

"He was my number one fan ever since I started singing, because he's a musician too, and his support was all I needed when I was trying to get signed."

"Well you know what?"

"What?"

"I know for a fact that your family doesn't give a shit about the money. If you were just open with your situation, they'll fly you down, especially since they haven't seen you in two years."

Lauren sighed before she replied quietly "You're right."

"Oh!" Normani gasped, "That should be one of our goals after this song is over with."

"Our?"

"Yeah, we can use that money to get you back to Miami."

Lauren blushed, smiling widely into the massage table, overwhelmed with the generosity her roommate and coworker had displayed, "You're a gem, Normani."

"No, I just know how important family is, that's all."

The relaxing soundscapes of some random tropical forest filled in their conversational silence. As the masseuses continued doing their job, the pair finally felt content in each other's company. Lauren was shocked that she was able to open up to Normani like she did and as quickly as she did, and Normani was just as surprised by the fact that Lauren, of all people, let her in. All drama aside, they were just two young women who were just trying to get their shit figured out, and that idea of them having a friend to relate to warmed both of their hearts.

"You know what else we should do, Lauren?" Normani asked excitedly.

"What?"

"We should go out tonight! Let's go to a club or something." Normani suggested, "Do you have anything promiscuous to wear?"

"If you think a tight black dress with an exposed back is promiscuous, then yes."

"Oh god no, you've got to stop wearing black everywhere you go, it gets boring."

Lauren scoffed, "Okay, _Fashion Police_."

"Besides, I've got just the thing," Normani added, "it's a sexy color that'll really make your ass pop." she paused, "You've got a really nice ass, Lauren. It's about time that you show it off."

"Hey!" Lauren gasped, "Have you been peeping?!"

"Yeah," Normani confessed confidently, "I just haven't gotten caught yet."

  
  


 


	5. Chapter 5

_**"Opposites generally create intense chemistry. There are more chances of fireworks when different people are together than similar personalities." -Sonam Kapoor** _

 

"Are you _sure_ this is a dance club, Mani?" Lauren asked as Normani pulled her wrist dragging her to the front of the line that almost stretched across the whole block.

"No," Normani replied quickly, "I'm sure it's a strip club, though."

"You're taking me to a strip club?!" Lauren gasped, strutting along the sidewalk in the brisk spring air.

"Pssh, you know you're gonna like it," Normani scoffed, "And did you not see the sign back there? It says _Sapphire Gentlemen's Club. Whe_ re did you think we were going? Bible Study?"

"Hell no!" Lauren exclaimed

"Don't say hell." Normani added quietly.

 "I'm just not well prepared." Lauren continued, peering into her empty clutch purse.

"What do you mean?" Normani asked, stopping on the sidewalk to turn to Lauren.

"I don't have any ones on me."

"Oh girl, I got you." Normani said as she began walking again, "Gosh Lauren you really gotta get out of the house more."

"I..I try." Lauren stammered shyly, "I..It's just that I-"

"Lauren Jauregui and Normani Kordei." Normani stated proudly to the buff bouncer guarding the main entrance, ignoring Lauren's useless rambling. He raised his eyebrows quizzically and grinned once he recognized one of their faces.

"Ah, Miss Lauren!" The burly man jeered with a wide smile, "I haven't seen you up here in a minute!"

Lauren blushed as she turned away from Normani's surprised gaze.  

"Caught red-handed!" Normani yelled with a mischievous grin, "I knew you knew how to have a good time!" she added playfully over the deafening bass spilling out of the club's front door.

"And you?" the bouncer asked, pointing at Normani. 

"She's with me." Lauren replied before Normani could utter a word.

 Normani grinned at the bouncer and said. "I was just here a while back Kevin, quit acting like you don't know me."

The muscular bounced laughed as he reached towards the velvet rope, "You two have a good time. Don't get into too much mischief, now."

"I'm not making promises." Normani answered with a smirk, stepping behind Lauren through the opened barrier. 

 Once they came back from the spa, Normani immediately dug through her luggage and found the sexiest dresses she could find for herself and her roommate. She forced Lauren to squeeze into her favorite royal purple party dress, which was cut so deep in the front, Lauren had to tape her breasts, and the back was so tight, she couldn't even wear a thong without it visibly cutting her flesh. Normani, on the other hand, was clad in one of Lauren's twelve-hundred black dresses that she found scrambled across her bedroom. It showed the perfect amount of skin and Normani knew she could make good use of it.

 Normani locked her eyes on Lauren's ass as she swayed into the club. Once the pulsing, vibrant lights reached their eyes, Normani edged up closer to the green eyed woman, placing her hand on Lauren's ass, squeezing it lightly.

"You look so hot from back here, mama." Normani whispered to Lauren as she shivered from the contact.

"Don't have such a wide grip," Lauren advised nervously, "I don't have underwear on, I could feel my dress rise up." she sniffed deeply while furrowing her eyebrows, "And have you been drinking already?"

"I had a couple shots before we left." Normani replied confidently with a loud giggle.

"It smells a lot more than a couple." Lauren mumbled under her breath.

"Keep it moving, Lauren, you're not the only one whose ass I wanna see in my face." Normani rushed, slapping her roommate's butt, looking back to see if any other clubgoers had noticed it. 

 

 Trap music reverberated against the club walls as the brightness from the streetlights vanished in the club. It was almost pitch black with the exception brightly colored effects lights. Spotlights were resting upon the taller stages as they were already plastered with a carpet of dollar bills as dancers gyrated on the poles. 

 "It's sounds like you're a regular." Normani said, grabbing onto Lauren's forearm as they walked down the half stairs to the main floor. 

 "I was, if we're being honest." Lauren replied, scanning her eyes across the club.

"Our table is right up here." Normani pointed right towards the main pole, grinning wildly.

"That's the VIP section!"

"We're very important people, are we not?"

"W-where do you find the money for this?!" Lauren yelled over the blaring music.

"I know the DJ here," Normani led Lauren to their table which was already set with the bottles of liquor Normani had requested, "You need to get something in your system, Lauren you're so tense...loosen up a bit."

"I'm not used to people grabbing my ass like that," Lauren answered in a laugh, sitting down in one of the surrounding velvet black chairs "It's been a while."

Normani ignored Lauren and turned away from her roommate as she began to converse with one of the scantily-clad employees roaming around the main floor.

 "Here," Normani commanded, turning back to Lauren with a glass full of a well-decorated mystery liquid in her hands, "drink this."

"What is i-"

"Just drink it," Normani ordered as she fell into the chair in front of the Lauren, "Gosh you've gotta chill out." 

"Oh, I'm chilling alright." Lauren answered as she took a long sip from the glass, "Just give me some bills to throw." 

"Don't be greedy, now." Normani fished through her purse and pulled out the thickest stack of ones that Lauren had ever seen. It was even covered with the colored heavy duty rubber bands.

"God damn, Normani!" Lauren gasped, "Where the hell did you get t-"

"I told you I knew the DJ." Normani replied, tossing half of the stack to Lauren, who then let  it sit on her lap. 

"Well...what did you do to know him?" Lauren asked quietly, leaning forwards in her chair. 

"I talked to him of course," Normani retorted  with an exaggerated roll of her neck, "You can be so nasty sometimes, Lauren, it's cute."

"Hm... _cute_." Lauren grumbled.

"He's from Houston so he always hooks me up wherever he's performing." Normani stated as she locked her eyes on the sexy waitress filling up her glass, "Which can be good for _us_." 

"What do you mean?"

Normani thanked the woman while simultaneously stuffing a few dollar bills in her waistband and replied, "If he DJs at the biggest clubs in New York he can promote our song for us, duh." Normani smiled as the employee leaned down to whisper a message into her ear, briefly tilting her head towards Lauren "Networking will make or break your career, you know this."

Normani turned her head back to the woman, nodding her head eagerly, discreetly handing her a couple of twenty dollar bills, holding up a three with her fingers before the tall, bronze-skinned waitress swayed away with a mischievous grin. 

 

"Y-yeah, you're right." Lauren replied softly, deliberately brushing off Normani's interaction with the stripper, "You're quite business-orientated when you're tipsy."

"I'm business-oriented all of the time," Normani answered with a wide grin, "I just seem to have an affinity for mixing business with pleasure."

"That's certainly an interesting way to live life."

Normani had her eyes on the main pole, gawking at the night's first stage performer. She brought her eyes back to Lauren who was slumped back in her chair, scrolling through her phone.

"Drink up, Lauren!" Normani yelled, "I didn't do your makeup and let you borrow my clothes for you to sit back like that, throw something!"

"Let me add forceful to your list of drunken characteristics." Lauren said, taking a short sip while scrolling on her phone, "And you of all people should know how much I love shit like this, I just need to get warmed up."

"Then why are you on your phone?" Normani asked, crossing her arms.

"Candece and my manager are texting me" Lauren stated matter of factly, "They're pulling some strings for the single," she gripped on the stack of money Normani threw to her and fiddled with its rubber band, "Candece should be calling any minute and the last thing I wanna do is talk to her hammered with a whole bunch of half naked women grinding on me in the background." Lauren looked back up at Normani and added, "I'll turn up after she calls though, I promise."

"That's a smart move," Normani admired, "We don't want you throwing drinks or anything."

Lauren scoffed a laugh, "You've got me there, although obviously that incident will never happen"

The both of them sat quiet for a moment, bobbing their heads to the music. Normani was deeply engrossed in what was going on at the main pole while Lauren was engaged in her phone screen, tapping rapidly. Candece first texted her when she was about to leave the loft, hinting at a huge performance that could give her and Normani a great promotional boost, but only if the song was finished and submitted by the end of the following week. Without a doubt, the two women could do it if they argued and partied less. But Lauren knew that they could make it work, especially with Candece hanging this performance over their heads.

 "Are you busy?" a commanding, deep voice from behind Lauren's chair asked seductively, slowly sliding her hands down Lauren's shoulders, "Your friend over there wanted me to give you a little something."

Lauren shivered at the stripper's touch, blushing wildly. But before she could squeak out an answer, her phone vibrated against her palm: Candece couldn't have picked a worse time to call. But, as usual business came first.

"U-um I- c-can I pass?" Lauren stammered, looking up to find the stripper's face and edging out of her seat, "I got to take this."

Normani's jaw slacked at Lauren's attempt at a sincere rejection, furrowing her eyebrows quizzically.

"I''m sure Normani would appreciate it more." Lauren added, standing from her chair and meeting eyes with the stripper, "I mean unless you-"

"Just go, Lauren." Normani commanded, uncrossing her legs slowly and winking at the stripper "I'll take care of it."

Lauren nodded as she rushed away towards the bathroom, swiping her phone and snapping it up to her ear.

"Hello?" She rasped.

"Sorry for calling so late Laur," Candece answered, "We've been working on getting this together since dinner."

"No, no, no, it's fine." Lauren assured, pushing the bathroom door as the blaring music was drowned outside of the walls.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"If we're being honest, yeah," Lauren admitted, "Normani thought it would be a good idea to have a bonding day."

"Aw that's cute!" Candece said, "Where did you girls go?"

"She took me to the spa and now we're at Sapphire."

"Sapphire?" Candece wondered, "You mean the strip club, Sapphire?"

"Yup, that's the one."

"Interesting," Candece said with a laugh, "I'm assuming you two are getting along, then."

"We're getting there. We've had a few arguments but nothing too bad."

"Good," she paused, "Now about this song, how is it going?" she paused, "And be honest because I'm really trying to get this slot for you two."

Lauren sighed before she answered, "Honestly, we don't have much down. We've just been throwing lyrics back and forth but we haven't settled on anything."

"You two _have_ to speed it up."

"I know, I know."

"Because the show we want you at is coming up really soon. I want you two to be prepared before the big stuff starts coming in."

"Well could you at least tell me what this gig is?"

Cadence sighed before she answered, "A headlining spot at a music festival in New Orleans on the 30th."

"Are you serious?!" Lauren gasped with a beaming smile as she hopped up and down in the empty bathroom, "That's awesome!"

"Exactly, which is why I'm gonna need you and Normani to work your asses off. We're thinking of having you be the headline and you can bring Normani out at the end to debut the single, but"  she paused, "if we were to go that route, everything needs to be a lot more energetic."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that if Normani can dance, you're dancing with her."

Lauren's smile dropped, "No....no I won't. You know I don't do that."

"Well you are now," Candece replied quickly, "This gig will pay a lot and it could get you some great exposure if the song is good enough. It's a humongous risk. It's probably one of the riskiest things we're ever going to do...but I think it's possible."

"Alright." Lauren said neutrally, "I'll think about the danci-"

"You're not gonna think about anything, you are gonna dance with the girl."

"Alright." Lauren sighed, trying to hold in a snarky comment.

"I'll get back to you on the gig but for now, you're free for the night. Don't throw all of your cash at the strip club."

"I'll try not to." Lauren answered with a giggle.

"But both of your asses better be in the studio at the crack of dawn tomorrow!"

"I'll be sure to relay the message."

"Perfect. Talk to you later, Lauren. Goodnight."

"Night."

Lauren pulled her phone from her ear and tucked it back into her clutch, rolling her tongue on the inside of her cheek in contemplation. She was obviously used to making her music and performing it in a relaxed setting but all of the glitz and glamour that could potentially follow the new single startled her. Lauren would have to learn how to dance and sing at the same time. The idea was so foreign it was frightening but Lauren knew she could go to Normani for reassurance...if she was sober enough to take her concerns seriously.

Lauren emerged from the bathroom and strutted back to the VIP sector as the loud trap music blasted into her ears once again. As she got closer, Lauren noticed Normani's arms stretching  over the armchair, with a refilled glass in her one of her hands.

The stripper that Lauren had turned down earlier was grinding on her roommate's lap, whose eyes were locked on her voluptuous _'assets'_. Normani was being her usual self, cracking jokes in an attempt to make the dancer   _'break character'_ , which was working flawlessly. As Normani sat still while the other woman in the armchair rolled her hips onto her lap, they exchanged bursts of laughter and seductive glares that drove Lauren crazy. Seeing them didn't make her feel envious at all, it was just the way Normani bit her lip and spread her lips into a sweet, innocent smile that affected the green eyed woman. 

By the time Lauren reached her seat, the tall stripper leaned off of Normani, whose tongue slowly slid under her top teeth as her eyes followed the dancer's large behind. 

"Are you next?" Normani asked to Lauren as she patted on her lap, "I still have a few twenties left."

Lauren plopped back into her seat, grabbed her refilled glass, and answered, "Not in front of all of these people, mama." Normani crossed her legs as she leaned forward in the armchair, "It'd be a private show...if anything." Lauren teased, subtly arching an eyebrow. 

"So you'd do it? Like...for real? In real life?" Normani questioned a lot more excitable than earlier.

"Hell yeah!" Lauren replied, taking an even longer sip from her drink, "But only if you gave something back." 

"I'd do you." Normani snapped back, "I mean the dance, of course...unless you'd rather...."

"Damn Mani, did you drink the whole bottle while I was gone?!" Lauren asked with a surprised smile, "You get so...frisky. It's kind of-"

"A turn on?"

"Yeah." Lauren stated calmly, "that's the word."

The seductive atmosphere never lifted for the rest of the night. Almost everything Normani said was a clever innuendo that always had Lauren squeezing her thighs together, and almost everything that Lauren did had Normani doing the same. At first, it felt like harmless banter between friends but as the night progressed and their bar tabs increased, they became a lot touchier. Lauren couldn't take two steps away from Normani without her reaching for her hand...or her ass. They couldn't resist each other in amidst their drunken shenanigans and if any given clubgoer didn't know any better, they would've thought the two were an inseparable couple that spontaneously decided to spend their weekly date night at the classiest strip club in New York City. 

—

_"I'm not giving your shit back until you give back mine." Niko snarled through the phone, "We might as well be equal."_

_"What the hell do you mean?!" Lauren retorted,  "The only shit you gave me was m-"_

_"You're whole debut album? Yeah, that's exactly what I'm talking about."_

_"Well how am I supposed to give that back?! It's been out for months already."_

_"You know what I mean," Niko said, "I want more money from it."_

_"I'm not in charge of that." Lauren replied quickly, "You of all people should know."_

_"Then I'll talk to your label about it."_

_"Really Niko?!"_

_"Yes really! If you're playing dirty, I might as well play dirtier."_

_"I'm not playing dirty, I just want my fucking couch back, you dumbass!"_

_Ever since Lauren's last visit to Malibu, her life had took a turn for the worse. Not only was she temporarily living on Candece's floor while she looked for apartments but she was also starting her nationwide tour the very next day in New York, and she hadn't been able to focus on it given that all she could think about was walking in on her ex cheating on her with some random girl. Lauren was fuming: she could barely get anything done without acting out, sobbing angry tears, and punching the air. Lauren had to spend her own money to make all of the media outlets quiet about the breakup, and she had  no idea how dangerous and stressful that was. Obviously, both of their followers speculated and conspired but they inferred that the couple didn't want to give away details. However; Niko quickly began to showcase his conniving ways, openly bashing on Lauren to his friends and family, claiming that she was just another 'gold digging whore' that only wanted his money and his sexual attention. Lauren began to go out more, drink more, and smoke more, even though those were the top three worst things to do before a long tour. But, she did them anyways in an attempt to separate herself from everything awful occurring in her life._

_"You're being so dramatic, just chill out!"_

_"Don't tell me to chill out!" Lauren yelled, stomping her leg onto Candece's carpeted floor, ignoring that people lived underneath her._

_"You probably just called me to hear my voice, didn't you? You miss me that much, huh?"_

_"Shut the fuck up, Niko," Lauren swore, "I just called to ask about my things."_

_"Well you've asked about them and I answered. You're not getting your couch back." Niko laughed evilly, "Besides, I don't think you want it back. The girl wasn't the only naked bitch on it."_

_"You're sick." Lauren groaned,  "And what about my clothes at your apartment in New York?!" Lauren cried out, "What about my equipment at the studio? What about my-"_

_"I'll have Camila drop them off." Niko replied jokingly before abruptly hanging up the phone_

—-

Normani awoke to Lauren lightly shaking her shoulder, humming along to her speaker playing soothing music from her kitchen.

"I made you breakfast, Mani." Lauren said softly, "And I bought Aspirin just in case."

Normani slowly opened her eyes, almost blinded from the bright sun glaring into the large window of her bedroom. Once she adjusted, Normani sat up and saw Lauren situated at the foot of her bed with a steaming omelet on a thin paper plate in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other.

"Aww, Lauren. I didn't know you could cook." Normani admitted, taking the hot plate and orange juice into her hands. 

"It's rare when I do, but I do cook." Lauren answered as she sat up on her bed,  her crop top rising up showing off a pale sliver of skin, "But I've been told it's pretty good."

"I'll be the judge of that." Normani said, cutting herself a piece of the omelet, "How long have you been up?"

Lauren glared up at the ceiling and bit her lip as she wondered, "Probably about two hours. I wasn't feeling like shit too much  so I decided to cook now that we finally have groceries in the fridge."

"You're welcome." Normani answered pertly with a smirk.

Lauren chuckled before she sighed "Thank you Normani." in a sing-songy voice.

 After Normani chugged out of her orange juice glass, she began to rub her temples, grimacing wildly, "On second thought," Normani choked out, "I think I'm gonna need that Aspirin."

Lauren nodded before hopping off of the foot of Normani's bed, clad in a pair of old, tight volleyball shorts, which made Normani do a double take.

As she resumed  munching on the cheesy omelet, Normani heard her phone squeak with a new text message. She set her glass of orange juice on her bedside counter and peered over to her phone's touchscreen.

_Brandee: "Girl, you better hope Niko doesn't find this!!!!!!"_

Normani quickly set her plate onto her comforter before yanking the phone into her hands. Her stomach dropped and her throat became dry as she punched in her passcode, already inferring on what she was going to find in her iMessages.

The picture Brandee sent along with the message wasn't as bad as Normani thought, though still quite problematic. It was of her and Lauren leaving the strip club the night before, practically glued together. Normani remembered her hand wrapped around Lauren's waist as well as her roommate's firm squeeze on her behind. The picture was satisfyingly grainy but Normani couldn't help but to reply, _"Where did you find this?!"_  


The typing signal almost appeared instantly as Normani licked her lips over and over again, desperate to find more information about the photo. 

  
_"It's on Twitter and people are speculating that it's you two..but I knew it was you because that's your dress Lauren has on. Speaking of which, I see you two are getting quite friendly..."_ Normani's close friend added a line of smirking emoticons, leaving Normani conflicted. Memory after memory re-entered her mind as she thought of a way to keep her big-mouthed friend from somehow spreading the photo to Normani's boyfriend. 

  
_"To be honest,"_ Normani lied, _"I don't remember shit from last night."_  


_"Apparently! You two look smashed and that's just judging from the way your little girlfriend is grabbing on your ass, child!"_

Normani threw her head into her palm, groaning. In actuality, Normani remembered every single detail from the night before. She was a heavyweight and relished in being able to remember the pleasurable night. She enjoyed the way they acted towards each other the previous night but she couldn't let her business get out there. Especially when it felt personal.

So even though she realized she wasn't an A-lister that's always in the tabloids yet, Normani wanted to destroy this piece of evidence before the bloggers that were still investing their attention in Lauren found it.  She had a budding career, and with dating  one of the most popular producers in the industry, the last thing Normani wanted to happen was her reputation being ruined before her first album release.

  
_"Nah, it's not even like that, Brandee,"_ Normani typed, _"Lauren's just a really....really really hot friend. We were in the heat of the moment last night, that's all."_  


 

_"Well next time you're in the heat of the moment, I'd highly recommend you do it in the privacy of your home, you don't want these kinds of problems right?"_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated a lot earlier than usual in honor of Normani's birthday :)


	6. Chapter 6

_**“This is a ruthless world and one must be ruthless to cope with it.” -Charlie Chaplin** _

__

“We’re so close to being done and you wanna change it now?!” Lauren gasped into the mic, flinging her studio headphones to the back her neck.

“Mhm!” Normani answered as she leant down to scribble into her notebook.  
“Why?!”   
“Because your lyric is safe and plain.” Normani answered. “You’re too scared to think of something raunchier.”

“My line is pretty raunchy if you ask me!” Lauren exclaimed, pointing to her chest, but Normani pursed her lips together and shook her head, silently negating her roommate’s opinion.

“Do you have anything better, then?!” Lauren replied sharply.

“Yes, actually!” Normani ripped out a sheet of her notebook as she walked to the booth, grinning mischieviously.

It had been their fifth day of working on the single. They were cooped up in the studio, only leaving to bring in food, tea, and water. Both of their phones were locked away in Lauren’s stash box, forcing themselves to stay in each other’s company. The first three days mostly consisted of Lauren slaving over her computer trying to arrange and produce the song, while Normani watched on, broadcasting all of her ideas. They knew they needed something upbeat but immediately disagreed upon the subject matter that related to something as fun as what Lauren was making. Normani’s ideas immediately resorted to something sexual while Lauren’s always seemed to incorporate themes of love and good times that just wasn’t ‘dirty’ enough for her roommate. But, in regards to their situation, Normani won. With only days to finish _and_ submit the song, it was a lot easier to create something lustful and enjoyable than serious and intense. By the fourth night, they were constantly arguing about the lyrics. They were both extremely vocal about what they liked and what they didn’t, which was a blessing and a curse. They shared their ideas, fought over things as simple as a line’s syllable count, found middle ground, and moved on, only to repeat the cycle in the next verse. It was tiring, to say the least, but their partial attitudes dissolved once one of them came up with something that they both adored.

“You’re always talking about the heart with your lyrics,” Normani observed, zooming through the recording booth door, “But this song isn’t about the heart, it’s about turning people on so you can cut the sensitive shit.”

“Just tell me the lyrics, Mani.” Lauren groaned as she ran her fingers through her hair. Normani smacked her teeth before she handed the sheet to Lauren.

“Skirt off, keep the high heels on. I might be a little thing but I like that,” Lauren squinted at the paper pointing to the lyric, “Wait, what is that last word there?”

“Long.” Normani stated proudly, “Keep the high heels on, I might be a little thing but I like that long.”

Lauren’s jaw slacked as she giggled childishly, “Normani, you’re so nasty!”

“But it works,doesn’t it?” Normani asked, crossing her arms.

“Yes, it does,” Lauren said, “And it’s perfect.” Normani smiled as she bustled back to the workstation, ready to let Lauren record her verse again.

“That kind of reminds me of what you said at Sapphire.” Lauren said with a giggle as she reread the lyric in her head.

“I keep telling you I don’t remember _anything_ from that night,” Normani lied, “It was just a long, horny blur.”

Lauren shook her head disappointedly, “Maybe you won’t drink so much next time.”

“No promises,” Normani blurted out as she deliberately changed the subject, “Now let’s get this verse down so we can finish up.”

Without a debate, Lauren and Normani entitled their song, ‘Hands On Me’. The beat behind it was dynamic as Lauren had been experimenting with that type of music ever since she got her hands on the equipment. Most of the lyrics were written by Normani, and she even got some ad-libs that she had a rapper friend record. Even though Lauren openly struggled with the promiscuous subject matter, once they dove into its vocal structure, both artists were able to contribute tremendously. From the moment they realized that their tones blended with each others, they utilized it in a way that made their song stand out from every popular collaboration that had blown up in the past decade.  The two artists wove their vocals in between and under each others so exquisitely, it was obvious that they weren’t in two different sides of the country, recording their own verses, and sending it to some overrated producer for submission. Although the song was fast and short in duration, they were both able to equally showcase what they could bring to the table, which gave them the validation that they needed before they sent it off. Lauren and Normani had a really good feeling about this song and they knew that the general public wouldn’t ignore it.

“We sound really good together.” Normani praised, bobbing her head to the playback, “The run battle at the bridge is perfect.”

“That’s what’s gonna reel people in, for sure,” Lauren said, “Especially when we perform it live.”

“When do you think that’ll be?” Normani asked.

“The 30th, actually,” Lauren replied quickly, “Didn’t you know about the New Orleans date?”

“The 30th? Of May? In New Orleans?!”

Lauren nodded, pausing the song to mix in some more background harmonies.

“Lauren! Why didn’t you tell me?!”  
“I thought Candece told you!”

“No!”

“Well now you know,” Lauren said with a chuckle, “We’re doing this song at the end of my set at JazzFest on the 30th.”  
“Lauren that’s huge!” Normani cried out, “You know I used to live down there, right?! And that’s the day before my 22nd!”

“I didn’t, if I’m being honest.”

“The 30th is in about two weeks you know how long it’s gonna take to get the song right?” Normani stressed, jitterring in her chair, “We have to figure out costuming, choreography, and have you danced before?! Do you understand how long it’s gonna take to train you?”  
“The song is two minutes, Normani.” Lauren repeated, turning towards her in her chair “And it’s my set. I don’t know if the band will be able to learn this in two weeks, but if all else fails,  we can just use the instrumental track. We can figure out the costuming in an hour tops and the both of us can devote these next two weeks training, or whatever you call it, and working on our separate projects. You’re stressing yourself out, Normani.”

“But it’s a big gig...a huge gig! I can’t fuck this up!”

“We,” Lauren corrected loudly, watching Normani bite her lip and twiddle her thumbs nervously, “This is my comeback performance and the last thing I want is to fuck up.”

“This is my _debut_ , Lauren.”

“Then we both know what we’re working towards,” Lauren concluded, “Simple as that.”

The only sounds that filled the room were Lauren’s clicks on her computer, as Normani’s breathing slowed.

“I-I’m just worried.”  
“About what? I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“I know that!” Normani affirmed, “I’m talking about you. You haven’t danced a day in your life!”

“I dance when I go to clubs.” Lauren contested calmly.

“That doesn’t count!” Normani answered sharply.

“Normani, listen,” Lauren started, turning in her office chair to lock her eyes on Normani’s, pausing to gather her words, “I know at the beginning of this, I wasn’t feeling it at all. But the fact that we’ve got something this great on our first try is...spectacular. We both can sing. You can dance your ass off and I have enough rhythm to get there with you. I’m all in with this, Normani.” the brown-eyed woman smiled meekly, “I’m not gonna give up on this, especially since both of us are so close to getting where we need to go. So, you can quit worrying about me now.” Lauren sunk back in her chair with a stern expression plastered onto her face.

“Sounds fair.” Normani answered, lifting her chin up, “But I’ll quit worrying about you if you promise me one thing.  
“What?”

“You better work your ass off.”

Lauren nodded confidently.

“I’m serious. I’m not stepping foot on that stage if you’re gonna half-ass it.”

“I’ve got you.” Lauren replied with a smirk.

“You better bring it,” Normani bossed, “Because I’m gonna whip your ass into shape.”

\---

“One last thing before we head out,” Normani started with her hands at her hips, “Give me a sprint on the treadmill.”

Lauren groaned exasperatedly, dropping her head back as she wiped sweat from her forehead. After the countless sets of ab and breathing exercises, Lauren was already exhausted and they hadn’t even started dancing yet. Normani set the tone for the morning once she forced Lauren to wake up at sunrise to jog to the dance studio her choreographer kindly let her borrow for that day. With every drill, it felt like she got meaner and meaner, which only made Lauren more distracted since she found the way Normani ordered her around quite the turn-on.

“I don’t wanna hear it. Now go.” Normani commanded, pointing to the workout equipment on the side of dance studio.

Lauren stretched her thighs before hopping onto the treadmill belt, taking a sip from her water bottle and trying not to blush at Normani’s tone.

“If there isn’t a challenge, there isn’t a change.” Normani advised, “Remember that.”

“God, have you ever thought about personal training?” Lauren asked, speeding up the treadmill.

“Maybe a few times.” Normani replied sweetly, breaking from her strict persona, “Let me know when you think you can’t take it anymore.”

Lauren nodded as she began to run on the treadmill belt, watching her reflection from the mirrors lined around the entire studio. It had been months since she last worked out. Although it was excruciatingly painful, it felt good to be bossed around by someone who wanted something just as bad as she did. Normani was so adamant about making their performance as perfect as possible, it was contagious. As the days passed, Lauren came to her own rehearsals hungry to take more risks and Candece already knew who was responsible for it. Lauren had finally realized that they made a great team, and the months to come were going to be exceptional because of it.

“Don’t forget to breathe, mama, you look like you’re about to explode.” Normani said, adjusting the strap on her basketball shorts.

“C-can’t we just.....do yoga....or something?” Lauren huffed, pumping her arms furiously as she tried to keep up with the belt racing underneath her feet, “Wouldn’t....that....b-”

“Stop talking and run...rookie.” Normani added.

“Rookie...hm,” Lauren replied,  “T-that’s a....that’s a new one.”  
“What did I just say?” Normani said sternly, unlocking her phone to look at its timer, “Now go to a jog.”

Lauren nodded again, reaching for her water bottle. Normani could tell that Lauren was definitely enjoying the way she was acting towards her. The way Lauren would bite her lip or smirk after she told her to do something was so repetitive, it was too easy to decode. So, she kept doing it. Normani hadn’t intended to play into this mean alter-ego, but it was working, and that was exactly what she needed.

“Sing ‘Hands On Me’ from the first chorus to the end.” Normani ordered.

“You’re fucking me, right?!” Lauren exclaimed

Normani willingly ignored another opportunity to flirt with her roommate as she replied, “Just sing the song, Lauren. It’s not supposed to sound perfect, that’s the point of the exercise.”

Lauren took a shallow breath, squeaking out the first words in a weak voice.

“Nope, that’s not it.” Normani interrupted, “Breathe from your diaphragm and pace yourself, we went over this didn’t we?”

“Fuck.” Lauren swore as she clung onto the treadmill’s armrests, still jogging down the belt.

“Didn’t we?” Normani asked loudly.

“Y-yeah.” Lauren whispered, nodding again as sweat dripped onto the equipment.

“Sing.”

Lauren breathed deeply, pressing one of her hands to her lower stomach.

“Better.” Normani complimented staley.

“ _Eyes on me, dance on me tonight you’re all I need. Keep your hands on me, babe._ ” Lauren repeated, squeezing her eyes shut as she ignored the burning pains throughout her entire body.

“I’m not gonna have you in front of all of those people gasping for air. Two minutes may be short to you but if your lungs can’t take it, it’s gonna be shitty,” Normani said factually, “I don’t do shitty performances.”  
 _“Don’t let these eyes fool ya. I can take it, hold nothing back, give it to me.”_

As Lauren continued to belt out her runs underneath her intense breaths of air, Normani was fully engaged in her movement. She watched how often she breathed, how fast she pumped her legs, and how she licked her lips in between each phrase and it was absolutely intoxicating. It felt good to be active for their own betterment, especially considering the fact that Lauren looked so sexy while she worked out. It was difficult for Normani to stay focused at times, but it was just another thing she would have to fix given that they’d probably be around each other from now on.

“You’re not that out of shape after all, rookie.” Normani said with a smirk, “You can get off.”

“Shit.” Lauren groaned as she jumped off of the treadmill, resting her palms on her knees, “Goddamn, I felt like I was dying.” Lauren wiped the sweat from her forehead again, slugging towards for her old tattered gym bag with a sigh of relief.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Normani asked sharply, “We still have a whole routine to learn!”

\---

_“I never want you to leave.” Niko groaned, resting his head on Normani’s bare chest, basking in their post coital bliss, “You’ll be in New York for so long.”_

_“Mhm.” Normani replied bitterly as  twiddled her fingers in his hair. The morning Atlanta city breeze swiftly flew into Niko’s expensive loft through his open windows as the couple sat in silence. A trite playlist full of wistful rappers, oversensitive whisper-singers, and repetitive instrumentals resonated throughout his home as they sat in the king sized bed, serene yet wary._

_“What’s wrong with you?” Niko asked, looking up at his girlfriend, “Did I do bad?”_

_“No,” Normani contested, furrowing her eyebrows, “Never.”_

_“Then what’s up?”_

_“Will you be honest with me?” Normani questioned suddenly as she slowly grazed her fingers along Niko’s back._

_“Of course, baby.” Niko answered, sitting up from Normani’s chest, “Always.”_

_“Then explain to me why Domino's Pizza sent you nudes last night...and why they're calling you papí.” Normani uttered, holding up Niko’s phone in her other hand, “And you better not bullshit it. I can see through any lie and you know that.”_

_Niko pursed his lips as he wiped his mouth with his hand, groaning in frustration._

_“Don’t be shy now.” Normani said, patting her boyfriend’s butt, “I’m not one of your little hoes, Nik. And, I thought you were too famous to try out the pizza trick...it’s quite amateur if you ask me.”_

_Niko sighed exasperatedly, keeping quiet as Normani ranted, “If you’re gonna cheat at least try to be a little more creative.”_

_“T-two months,” Niko stuttered, “I met her at a Miami show...a-and she came onto me, I didn’t do anything.”_

_“Of course she did.” Normani scoffed as she pushed Niko off of her body, “Because that totally lets you off the hook.”_   
_“Please forgive me.” Niko pleaded insincerely._

_“You’re pretty fucking bad at apologies, you know that?” Normani sighed as she trudged out of the bed, “But,” she paused, sighing, “I guess we’ll just have to make this work.”_

_Niko sat up in his bed, “W-what do you mean?” He asked quizzically._

_Normani bit her lip in deep thought, grabbing one of Niko’s t-shirts to toss over her head. “For these next few months, I need to be here, and you need to be here with me.” she explained, “I have an album to finish and so do you. And they both have to blow up, right?”_

_Niko sat quietly as his jaw slacked in disbelief._

_“Right?!” Normani asked loudly._

_“R-right.” Niko answered coyly, leaning back in his bed, “But what do our careers have to do with t-”_   
_“They have everything to do with this.” Normani interrupted._

_“I just confessed and you’re...you’re making it a business plan?”_

_“Yup.” Normani replied coldly, “We fuck around but we have shit to do at the end of the day, right? And we help each other with that...right?”_

_“Y-yes, of course b-”_   
_“We both need each other to leave our marks on this industry, and I’m not gonna let your little hoes get in the way of that.”_

_Niko stammered as he rubbed his temples confusedly._

_“I’m gonna let you do you...but only if you satisfy me on all terms.” Normani proposed, “We're so close but I can’t get there alone. Do you understand me?”_

_Niko paused at he gazed at Normani, who stood in front of him with her arms at her hips, awaiting a response._

_“Yeah.” Niko said with quick nods, “Yeah, I understand.”_

_“Good.” Normani replied softly with a smirk, turning out of Niko’s bedroom, “I’ll go and make breakfast.”_

\---

“I think I owe you for being so hard on you at rehearsal today.” Normani husked as she swayed into the living room to the smooth music blasting from Lauren’s speaker system, liquor bottle in hand.

“You didn’t have to give me more alcohol, our fridge is f-”

“Oh this?” Normani slurred, raising the glass bottle, “It’s trash, now.” she carefully set the empty bottle down on Lauren’s coffee table as she licked her lips, “I had something else in mind.”

She came to stand in front of Lauren slowly rocking back and forth to the music letting her roommate get a good eyeful. Clad in a bralette and short shorts, she ran her hands over her body moving from her thighs, ghosting her toned abs, cupping her breasts and then turned around, running her fingers through her hair.

Normani then slowly moved to sit on Lauren’s lap winding her hips, still facing the large window of the loft , causing Lauren to gasp sharply.

“Mani,” Lauren hissed, locking her green eyes on Normani’s ass waving around in her face, “W-what are you doing?”

“What you want me to...right?” Normani said, settling down onto Lauren’s lap, “I told you I have eyes in the back of my head,” she paused to turn her head to meet eyes with Lauren, “And I’m not gonna ignore the way you’ve been eyeing me down.”

Lauren’s eyes shifted in between Normani’s eyes, her full lips, and bralette that showed off her cleavage. Her throat suddenly became uncomfortably dry as her hands began to tremble, especially once Normani decided to arch her back.

“To be fair, I know you want it too,” Lauren whispered as she rested her hands on Normani’s waist. “You said it yourself, you just can never remember a damn thing.”

“Touché.”  Normani turned back around as she slowly began to grind on her lap to the beat of the music, sliding her tongue over her lips.

“I can’t believe you’re actually doing this.” Lauren chuckled with a pang of anxiety in her voice as she leaned her head back against the couch, “I thought you were joking.”

Normani quickly hushed her roommate, turning around to  bring her finger to her lips and letting the slow, sensual music fill the whole room.

_“Once upon a time, I was all alone. How you like me now? Do I turn you on?”_

 

Lauren captured her bottom lip in between her teeth, smoothly riding her hands up and down Normani’s sides.

_“Show me what you want, give me what you want.”_

__

Normani rested both of her palms on Lauren’s thighs, rolling and winding her waist against Lauren’s center, causing both of their breathing to speed up.

“Shit.” Lauren hissed, taking one hand off of Normani to run her fingers through her hair. Lauren’s hand then reattached to Normani’s body in a slap against her ass, which was a lot harder than Lauren had intended. Normani gasped from the sharp contrast, but didn’t waver in her deliberate movements.

_“Have to make you mine, get you on the floor. Yeah, watch me go to work, I’ll put on a show.”_

__

Normani tossed her hair to the side as she lifted herself from Lauren’s lap, turning around with her tongue sliding underneath her top teeth. She faced the green-eyed woman, whose jaw was clenched in deep focus.

“All this for one workout session?” Lauren asked, biting her lip. Normani shrugged playfully as she slowly wrapped her arms around Lauren’s neck, inching closer and closer towards her.

_“Don’t stop looking at me, don’t stop looking at me. Don’t stop looking at me, don’t stop looking at me.”_

__

Lauren eye’s then locked onto Normani’s plump lips as she fawned over her movements.

Lauren’s mind quickly filled with images of all the things she imagined Normani’s lips doing to her body and before she knew it, Lauren was pressing her own against the intoxicating woman’s on her lap. Normani exhaled through her nose in a relaxed sigh as she moved her lips against Lauren’s, moving her fingers through her silky black  hair. Lauren’s hands roamed downwards to her roommate’s ass, squeezing it lightly as she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss. Normani didn’t waste time in parting her roommate's lips with her tongue, letting it collide fiercely with Lauren’s.  

“Fuck.” Lauren swore in between kisses, snapping the elastic band on Normani’s shorts. Normani giggled as she grazed her fingers at the nape of Lauren’s neck, continuing to grind onto her lap. Lauren took Normani’s bottom lip in between her own, giving it a quick nip before diving back into her mouth. Normani took one of her hands off of Lauren’s neck and pulled at the hem of her shirt, slowly sliding underneath it to cup her breast. The aura of the pair finally acting out on the weeks of harbored sexual tension was intoxicatingly liberated. They both knew what they wanted, opting to keep quiet about it, masking it underneath flirtation and stolen gazes, but now, they had nothing to hide anymore.

As their lips parted, Lauren released Normani’s bottom lip in a soft bite and latched her lips her neck, feeling her moan against her lips.

“L-Lauren.”

The green-eyed woman felt a pang in her lower stomach as she remembered the last time she heard Normani groan her name like that, which only fueled the way she kneaded her ass and sucked at her neck.

Suddenly, the repetitive chimes coming from Normani’s vibrating phone on the coffee table disrupted the sensual mood as the dark girl took her hand from underneath Lauren’s shirt and reached behind her. Normani swore in her head, scolding herself for not turning her phone on mute. But, Lauren completely ignored the sound as she slapped Normani’s ass once more.

Normani peered at her phone, watching a picture her and Niko on a red carpet flash on her screen in an awaiting FaceTime call. He was calling at his regular time and the both of them swore to each other that they would always answer for the “betterment of their relationship”. However, Normani quickly silenced the phone and tossed it to the other side of the loveseat.

“Who was that?” Lauren hissed in between kisses again.

“No one important.” Normani rasped as she brought Lauren’s face back up to hers with the tip of her finger, smiling before diving into her lips once again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 
> 
> Usually, I don't like putting lyrics in the actual story but I forced myself to try it again especially since this is a fic based on music. 
> 
> Laurmani’s song is Hands On Me by Ariana Grande. That nasty ass lyric is actually in it but she mumbles so much I didn’t even catch it until I wrote this chapter. I thought it would be really appropriate as well so y’all should definitely listen to it when you get the chance.  
> Also, the song for the last scene is called Vulnerable by Tinashe. She *lowkey* has a big influence on this fic and the songs in it so this won’t be the last time you see her name down here.   
> [FYI Laurmani will be endgame for all you nosey hoes in Autumn’s mentions lmao.]   
> Hope y’all liked this chapter! Hit us up @kordeibaybay or @badgalmanik (bc Autumn changed her @) and kordei-pinnock on tumblr. I’ve been lurking and seeing you post/tweet things about it and it means a lot. Also, please feel free to leave comments on the wattpad/archive I LOOOOOVVVVEEE to read how you all are reacting to the story it's amazing. These next few chapters will be a ride for SURE so stay tuned for updates! Thanks for reading! -D


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Consider this chapter as a little goodie because after this, I'll be done with the random updates in the middle of the week. I'm doing this because for (roughly) two weeks I'll be back and forth at a couple of music camps and it will be very difficult to update. But, I know for a fact that the next update will be in a week.   
> So that's kind of why this chapter is long and hoe-y.
> 
> The song Lauren sang was Girl With One Eye by Florence and the Machine but if you wanna be picky about it, I had the bayou percussion version in mind :)
> 
> Also, reread the last scene while Partition by Beyonce plays, that would be quite interesting.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE leave comments about it on here, tumblr, twitter etc. (mostly bc the domino's ho discussion via Twitter was quite lit so I hope to see more...idk if Autumn does tho)   
> hit us up at @kordeibaybay and @badgalmanik   
> HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A FUN SUNDAY! SEE YOU IN A WEEK!

“Morning everybody! It’s DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne Tha God, and we are the Breakfast Club here at Power 105.1,” The DJ yelled into the mic, “and today we got a special, fresh face in the building.”

Normani giggled as she greeted into the mic excitedly, “Hello, hello, hello"

“Give it up for Normani Kordei everyone!” Envy cheered into the mic. The bright lights of the radio station were nearly blinding and the air was so cold, Normani constantly rubbed her hands together, still holding her smile. She was a bit nervous for this interview, especially since this show has been deemed, ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Morning Show’ for years. The purpose of the show was to scare, intimidate, and jokingly ridicule artists and Normani had intentionally avoided it. But once her publicist brought up the idea, Normani accepted, promising to herself that she would shake everything off. In preparation, Normani watched countless videos full of the hosts’ petty jabs and inappropriate questioning, preparing herself for whatever was bound to happen. The interview would keep her on her toes, and Normani was ready for it.

“Damn, Normani,” Charlamagne praised, “You’re looking good!”

“Aw, thank you!” Normani gushed, swiveling around in her seat.

“When your nudes leaking?” Charlamagne snapped into the mic, playfully laughing with the interviewee afterwards.

“Is that how we’re really gonna start the interview, Charlamagne?” Angela chided.

“Nah, nah I’m just kidding,” the host said, “But you do look beautiful, though. For real.”

“Aw, thank yall.”

“Where are you from?” Angela asked, “I kind of heard an accent there.”

“I was born in Atlanta but I grew up in New Orleans and Houston.”

“So you were just all over the south, huh?” Envy asked.

“Yeah, I sure was.” Normani said, nodding her head.

After a slight pause, Angela started, “Now, let’s talk about this song, Watch n’ Learn, it’s the first single from your debut album coming out later in the summer and it’s really blowing up out here.”

“Yes!” Normani affirmed, “It really is, I’m so proud of it.”

“So, tell us what it’s about, what was the inspiration behind it?”

“I can answer that for her,” Charlamagne started, leaning forward in his chair, “It’s about cunnilingus. Simple as that.”

“Charlamagne!” Angela gasped, “It’s way too early for you to-”

“Is it not, though?” He asked, turning back to Normani, “Is it not about teaching your man how to eat it right?”

“Well I mean...” Normani started, “Yeah, to be honest. You were right.” she chuckled as she took a sip from her styrofoam cup of tea.

“I knew you were nasty.” Charlamagne continued, pointing his finger towards the young starlet, “I can just tell by the way you walked in that you’re a lowkey hoe.”

“Isn’t that kind of contradictory?” Normani asked, “I thought the point of a hoe was to be all out there.”

“That’s true.” Angela concurred.

“Well if that’s your definition, I mean freaky.”

“That’s a lot more realistic,” Envy started, “You don’t really look like a hoe.”

“Dang, that was the look I was going for today,” Normani joked, laughing with the rest of the hosts, “I missed it completely!”

“But you definitely redeemed yourself with the lyrics on Watch n’ Learn, did you write it?” Charlamagne asked.

“Yeah, I write all of my songs.”

“Damn, you a freak.” Charlamagne exclaimed, shaking his head and adjusting the snapback on his head, “But you look 19, is freakiness allowed?”

“I’m 21.” Normani corrected.

“And you have a man, don’t you? He’s in the industry too, right?”

“You’re dating Niko V, aren’t you?” Angela asked.

“Yes,” Normani replied confidently, “He’s amazing.”

“So he must’ve been the one you wrote the single about, right?” Charlamagne asked, “Was that your freaky ass birthday gift to him?”

Normani sat quietly, shrugging playfully with a smirk, “I don’t know!” she answered.

“You wrote it about Lauren, didn’t you?” Charlamagne asked, causing Normani’s eyebrows to shoot upwards.

“Who?” Normani asked in a quick attempt to get off of the subject.

“You’re wrong for that!” Charlamagne chortled, “You know you’re wrong for that.”

“What?” Normani asked, raising her hands up, holding her innocent face.

“Don’t act like we didn’t see those pictures of you two at Sapphire a couple weeks back. In the one where she was grabbing on your butt.”

“No, no, she’s just my friend.” Normani assured, “And...roommate for now, but that’s it.” 

“Well she was grabbing back there like her whole career depended on it.” Charlamagne insisted, “And she’s your roommate too?! Wow....you two are definitely banging.”

“No, no, no, I’m only with Nik.” Normani lied, “She’s just a very sexy friend.”

“She’s bad, you’re right,” Charlamagne complimented, “That’s probably why you two are banging behind the scenes.”

“No, no, no.” Normani disagreed, still trying to maintain the relaxed, lighthearted mood.

“I’m gonna get to the bottom of this, give me your phone.” Charlemagne ordered, “She’s probably sending you booty pics as we speak, now hand it over.”

“Too bad I left it home.” Normani sighed.

“You’re lying!”

“What?!” Normani exclaimed with a smile, “I did!”

“Well you’re off the hook for now,” Charlamagne said, “But whenever I see you on the street, I’m gonna ask for it again, you can remember that.”

“I’ll take a mental note.” Normani answered in a soft chuckle, “I won’t forget it.”

After Charlemagne's inappropriate commentary, Normani and the interviewers steered back on track again, discussing Normani’s upcoming album and reading out all of the hype for it. They talked about her extensive background as a dancer, model,  singer, and actress as well as how she met Niko, her boyfriend and head producer of her debut album due in late August. Overall, Normani felt really good about the interview once it was over. Of course, Charlamagne stepped out of his boundaries, but Normani was proud of herself for handling it with a calm and collected attitude. She wasn’t even bothered by him bringing up Lauren. For the most part, she was shocked that she even entertained Charlemagne,  given that she could’ve easily debated that the picture wasn’t of her. But, it was the perfect interview to spice up her monotonous routine, which was filled with the same set of ten questions that she repeated the answers to nearly seventeen times a day.

The only thing she hoped was that Niko and Lauren weren’t listening in.

\---

_“Mani, you’re late.” Niko said sternly, taking her hand and leading her out of the SUV parked in front of the hidden side entrance._

_“No I’m not, you said be here at 8 and I got here at 8.” Normani corrected, stepping onto the sidewalk._

_“I texted you to come at 7:45, didn’t I?” Niko asked as they walked down towards the entrance of the private party, masking their disagreement with beaming smiles._

_“You probably texted another girl.” Normani chided, “Maybe you meant to send it to me when you really sent it to Burger King, who knows?”_

_“Maybe it just never went through,” Niko said, “And they don’t even deliver.”_

_“Shut the fuck up, Nik.” Normani swore, “You’re probably just mad because I was with-”_

_“Keith is his name, right?” Niko interrupted stopping with Normani in front of the hidden entrance, “Another down low model nigga?”_

_“I can assure you he’s not on the down low,” Normani said, “And how would **you** know that? Is he Panda Express in your phone?”_

_“Quit it, Mani.” Niko advised, tightening his grip on her hand, “But you can do better than him.”_

_“Keith doesn’t have a whole food court in his phone, so that’s a step up from your dirty ass.” Normani scolded, “And I never gave my opinion about your little hoes, so you best keep your mouth shut.”_

_“I’m just saying,” Niko started, “He seems kind of fruity. Why couldn’t you get yourself an athlete or something?”_

_“Then why couldn’t you get yourself a girl who’s talented?”_

_“Mine are talented.”_

_“Instagram boutique models don’t count, jackass.”_

_“Can Keith make you wet like I can?” Niko asked._

_“He sure can. I allowed him the opportunity to eat and he can eat it right, unlike you.” Normani contested, squirming “I can’t even trust where your mouth has been.”_

_Niko wrapped his arm around Normani’s waist, immediately letting his hand fall down to her ass, "Maybe that's true, but I’m sure his stroke game can’t make you come more than twice, because I sure can, and you damn sure gon’ remember that, baby.” Normani gasped quietly, dropping her jaw and listening to Niko as he continued, “Don’t try to play me like I don’t fuck you right. That’s probably why you’re here in the first place because you know nobody is better than me.”_

_Normani sighed as she rolled her tongue in her cheek, unable to think of another comeback._

_“Exactly.” Niko concluded, grabbing her ass a lot harder than normal, “Now let’s go.”_

_Normani’s fake smile sunk once she realized that he was right. Their unconventional pseudo-relationship wasn’t making her happy. Even the attractive male models she surrounded herself with weren’t making her content. It was something more than sex and more than her success that Normani  yearned for, she just couldn’t put her finger on it. But on the inside, whatever it was slowly tearing her apart._

\---

“Is this Normani?”

“No, this is Lauren. Normani left her phone at our loft, I have it so I can give it to her at rehearsal later today.”

Lauren sat in the backseat of a luxury SUV with her gym bag and water bottle, preparing herself for a final dress rehearsal before she flew out to New Orleans with Normani. It felt great to be back with her band, singing songs from the album that made her blow up on all of the charts. However, most of them reminded her of Niko. It was a given since he was extremely involved with the album, but Lauren constantly had to control her thoughts so that she wouldn’t break down in front of her band and whoever was watching.

Despite her painful past, Lauren was particularly excited about performing ‘Hands On Me’ for the first time down in New Orleans. Their labels fawned over it and immediately wanted to get the single out there as soon as possible. They had already put in the request for fundings for a music video shoot in Los Angeles to follow after their New Orleans date as well as a few promotional performances after the single's release. Both of them were so excited to be immersed in buzz of work again, and they were curious to see the public's reaction to their collaboration, especially since the dynamic of the two was so unusual.

“You’re the Lauren she’s been talking about then,” the sweet, high-pitched voice said, “I’ve heard quite a lot of things about you.”

“I hope they were good.” Lauren replied charmingly.

“To be honest, they weren’t at first, but they are now, so that’s good,” the voice admitted, “I’m Andrea, by the way. Normani’s mother.”

“Aw, Normani talks about you all of the time.” Lauren said, pulling the phone away to look at Normani’s contact ID for her mom.

“I was going to ask her for something but I did need to talk to you, I was just thinking about a way to contact you.”

“Oh, okay,” Lauren said with a quaver of anxiety in her voice, assuming the worst, “What is it?”

“Well, I’m sure Normani told you that her birthday is the day after your gig in New Orleans, right?”

“Yeah, she’s mentioned it a few times.” Lauren answered, peering out of the tinted windows.

“Perfect. Well, she has a lot of family and friends in New Orleans and we were going to organize a surprise party for her.”

“Really?!” Lauren gasped genuinely, “That’s so cute.”

“And I just wanted to let you know that you’re welcome to join us,” Andrea professed, “She’s been a big fan of yours for a while and now that you two are on good terms, especially since you live together now, it would be really nice for you to come.”

“I would love to come!” Lauren exclaimed, “Now will the renowned Hamilton gumbo be served there?”

“How do you know about that?” Andrea asked in a chuckle.

“Normani made some a while back, it was perfect.”

After a hearty laugh, Andrea replied, “Of course it’ll be served. We’ll give you the rundown for sure.”

“Great,” Lauren said, “I’m so excited! I just can’t wait to get down there and meet everyone.”

“We are too, trust me. We’re big fans of you both down here.”

Andrea and Lauren then exchanged their numbers and engaged in more smalltalk until Normani’s mother announced that she was receiving another call. Once they shared their goodbyes, Lauren locked Normani’s phone and threw it back into her bag as the SUV filled with silence once again. Andrea was probably one of the sweetest women she’d talked to in a while. In fact, the warmth in her voice reminded Lauren of her own mother, which caused her smile to sink lower and lower. Lauren really did miss her family. She missed helping her mom cook, listening to music with her dad, going to her siblings’ sports games, and caring for her goddaughters. Lauren missed it so much, it was almost painful to think about.

So, Lauren reached for her own phone with intentions of calling her own mother but her chauffeur suddenly announced, “We’re here.” through the partition. Lauren sighed, rubbing her eyes before he opened the door for her, letting the bright New York sun meet her eyes.

“Thank you.” Lauren said softly, walking straight into the building, ignoring the couple of paparazzis camped outside of the door.

As Lauren swaggered through the double doors, she was met with the icy gusts of the air conditioning and boisterous greeting from her live band and Candece.

“Hey guys!”

“Ready for the big day, L-dog?” Peyton, the muscular drummer asked, twirling his sticks in his hands.

“I hope so.” Lauren said, greeting and waving to everybody in the room before setting her things down on the floor.

“We have some good news for you.” Allyson, Lauren's music director announced, shuffling through stacks of manuscript paper. “We got ‘Hands On Me’ down.”

“Really?!” Lauren asked excitedly, walking over to the mic stand set in the front of the mock stage “That’s great! I’m so glad that you could pull it off.”

“It was a doosey,” the drummer admitted, “But we were just rehearsing it, and it sounds pretty solid.”

“Great,” Lauren praised, “When can I hear it?”

“I say you all should try it once Normani comes.” Candece suggested, “They’ll be in for quite a shock.”

“You can’t give me a little listen?” Lauren pleaded.

“Not quite.” Peyton teased, “We want it to be a surprise.”

“Fine.” Lauren groaned, unlocking her phone to double check the setlist,  “What’s the rundown for today, guys?”

Ally opened a thick notebook that laid on a music stand and started, “We have to fix the arrangement of the medley, it’s lining up right but the cues are all over the place.”

Lauren nodded, meeting eyes with the musical director.

“Normani’s super busy today so when she comes in here, we’ll have to start that section of the set. But once she finishes up and goes out again for interviews, she should get a couple of run throughs out.”

“Alright, perfect.” Lauren said, “I’m already warmed up so I’ll be ready when you are.”

“Great. Let’s start with ‘Girl With One Eye’ because that needs the most work.”

Lauren nodded as she watched her band members return to their instruments. Candece still stood in the corner, scrolling and tapping onto her phone.

Girl With One Eye was one of the couple songs Lauren had written after she broke up with Niko. Being one of the most dark songs she had written, Lauren always found herself immersing herself into the song, moving and swaying to its haunting rhythms.

As the loose bangs of the drums reverberated around the room, Lauren closed her eyes, ready to sing out the eerie lyrics.

_“She told me not to step on the cracks. I told her not to fuss and relax. Well, her pretty little face stopped me in my tracks, but now she sleeps with one eye open. That’s the price she paid.”_

Lauren wrote the song when she got back to New York from Malibu after she’d discovered Niko cheating on her. Before she placed her blame on him, she was infuriated with the woman she saw him with. Everytime she closed her eyes, the satisfied look on the woman's face burned through her eyelids. Visions of the woman started Lauren’s sleepless tendencies that she had to this day and she loathed her for it. So, instead of taking more of her anger out on Niko and the adulterer, she wrote a song about it and hid it away due to its sensitive content. But the lyrics seemed to slip into Allyson's hands and she arranged the melody for it, motivating Lauren to perform it live or to put it in her second album. But, during that time, Lauren wasn’t performing nor putting anything towards her sophomore album, so Ally left it alone. But now that Lauren was back, more confident and energized than ever, she built up the courage to perform it and it was one of the songs she was most excited to debut to her fans.

  
_“I said, ‘Hey girl with one eye, get your filthy fingers out of my pie.’ I said, ‘Hey, girl with one eye, I’ll cut your little heart ‘cause you made me cry”_ Lauren husked clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut, concentrating on drawing from the anger she felt in that moment she wrote the song, _“I slipped my hand under her skirt.”_ she slowly stroked her hand up her thigh _, “I said, don’t worry, it’s not gonna hurt. My reputation’s kinda clouded with dirt. That’s why you sleep with one eye open, and that’s the price you pay.”_  


Once Lauren opened her eyes after the chorus, she noticed Normani sliding in through the door, followed by a slender man who carried two garment bags stacked on top of each other.  Lauren waved to her fellow collaborator, whose expression was a lot less bright than normal. Immediately, the band stopped playing music, leaving the room in the awkward silence.

“Ah, you didn’t have to stop.” The tall man whined as he handed the garment bags to Normani “It looked like you all were into it.”

“We didn’t want to interfere with Normani’s schedule that’s all.” Allyson clarified as she went back to her thick notebook paper, scribbling more notes inside of it.

“We have four hours here,” Normani announced with a lighthearted chuckle, “I’m sure you all would’ve been fine with playing through one song.”

“Better safe than sorry, right?” Lauren said, shrugging her shoulders before trailing towards Normani with a beaming smile.

“Lauren, meet Sean,” Normani introduced tilting her head to the tall man with her, “Sean, meet Lauren. He’s going to help us with the choreography.”

“Great, nice to meet you, Sean.” Lauren greeted, taking one of the garment bags into her hands, “I’m assuming that these a-”

“The costumes, yes,” Normani affirmed, “We need to put them on now just so Sean can see how fluid everything is.” Lauren nodded, pulling her finger along the zipper to catch a glimpse.

“No peeking!” Normani exclaimed, dramatically swatting Lauren’s hand away from the zipper, “Now let’s go.”

Lauren led Normani to the dressing room as the stage full of people erupted with random noises from musical instruments and discussions. As the pair roamed down the winding hallway, Lauren didn’t waste time by immediately wrapping her free hand around Normani’s waist.

“How were interviews, mama?”

“Repetitive, mostly.” Normani replied blandly, opening the dressing room door, “But they were still enjoyable.”

Lauren slid in the door behind Normani, deliberately locking the door behind her, “Where did you go?” she asked, setting her garment bag on a table right beside Normani’s.

Normani let a long sigh before answering, “We just got back from Sirius and earlier today I was at The Breakfast Club.” Normani turned away from Lauren, kicking off her heels, “Can you unzip me, please?”

“Sure!” Lauren said, scurrying like a puppy over to Normani as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, “And how did The Breakfast Club go? I heard they’re ruthless over there.”

Lauren’s fingers grasped upon the zipper on the back of Normani’s skin tight lavender dress and pulled it, taking her bottom lip into her teeth.

“They are,” Normani paused to let out another cold sigh, “It was fun but one thing has b-”

“Mani, why didn’t you tell me that you aren't wearing a bra?” Lauren interrupted, stepping closer to Normani’s body.

“I felt like I didn’t need it today.” Normani replied, shrugging the dress down to the top of her hips, “B-but anyways, they...t-they”

“They what?” Lauren asked, “Did that one guy say anything out of pocket?” Lauren leaned forward and rested her head in the crook of her neck and wrapping her arms around exposed Normani’s waist.

“In just about every other sentence.” Normani admitted with a fake chuckle.

“Is that why you seem so...distant today?” Lauren asked, planting a soft kiss on her neck, “Because I can fix that, you’ll just have to give me a few minutes.”

Normani scoffed playfully.

“I’m serious,” Lauren giggled, “Do you think they’ll be mad?”

“That’s your band, not mine.”

“You have a point.” Lauren agreed as she slowly began to latch her lips to Normani’s neck.

“They asked about you.” Normani blurted out as if the words had been trapped in her throat, “They found the picture of us at Sapphire.”

“Mhm.” Lauren groaned against Normani, sliding her hands up to Normani’s torso and, then, her breasts, “And what did you say? Normani remained silent as she placed her hands over Lauren’s that rested on her chest slowly pulled them off as she peeled herself off of her roommate.

“Not now, Laur.” Normani whispered, shrugging her dress off, “I-I told him we were just friends.” she quickly began to avoid Lauren’s eye contact by pulling her garment bag from the counter.

“Mani,” Lauren started softly, “I’m pretty sure friends don’t give lap dances to other friends...and make out with them more than once.”Lauren paused, raising her voice slightly, “Or fondle them in public places.”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Normani cried out, carefully taking her costume out of its bag.

“Yes you do,” Lauren assumed, “Don’t you dare start acting like that.”

“I was probably drunk,” Normani scoffed, tying up an ivory halter bustier around her neck, “It’s hard for me to remember shit like that.”

“Sure.” Lauren snapped sarcastically, “Are you really that delusional?”

“Why are you acting like that?” Normani asked, stepping into her bottoms, meeting eyes with Lauren.

“Like what?”

“All sarcastic.” Normani hissed, grabbing the bolero jacket of her all white costume.

“You’re the one who’s lying!” Lauren replied, even louder than before, “I think I have the right to be a little sarcastic.”

“But you just-” Normani stopped herself and rolled her tongue on the inside of her cheek to collect her thoughts, “Nevermind.” the dressing room fell into silence again, “I don’t want to make you throw a fit.” Normani grumbled under her breath, turning towards the exit.

“I think you already have!”

Normani strutted past Lauren, avoiding eye contact and ignoring Lauren again before sliding out of the dressing room hurriedly, painting a false smile over her face.

 

\---

 

For the first time, Lauren decided to push away her temporary disagreement with Normani and finished out the rehearsal strong, making her even more confident about her first live performance in a year. But, what Normani revealed in the dressing room perplexed Laurento no end . Things weren't adding up to Lauren, especially since Normani had let her kiss her when she was sober once before. It infuriated Lauren how Normani would always be the one who flirted, touched, or kissed first and once Lauren addressed it, Normani quickly changed views, making Lauren look like she was the crazy one who needed to ‘get her act together’.  Lauren could sense that Normani was hiding something so she decided to take the risk of figuring out the truth into her own hands.

 Later that night, Lauren invited Normani to an album release party at her favorite nightclub as an apology for her hastiness earlier that day. Normani kindly accepted and even offered to pay for Lauren’s drinks as an apology as well. But, Lauren declined mostly because she had something else in mind.

During Lauren’s year-long slump, Lauren visited her favorite nightclub, Cielo, almost every night, drinking and smoking in the VIP section with whoever relevant decided to visit. The list of people she sat with was so long and varied that she vividly remembered drinking shots with a world renowned philanthropist one night, then shared a bottle with an underaged pop singer the next. Since she spent most of her time there, it gave her the chance to try almost everything. She knew which drinks carried the worst punch, almost every item on the secret menu, and their seasonal specials. Even though Lauren shouldn’t have spent that much time in the club, her extensive knowledge would come in handy this one time.

 It was so obvious that Normani knew nothing about alcohol. She only drank to get drunk and it would be almost too easy to catch her in her lies.

“Here,” Lauren roared over the blaring music, “Try this.”

“What is it?” Normani asked, eyeing the tall glass.

“It’s my favorite one here. I swear if you drink more than two glasses of this, you’re already fucked for the whole night.” Lauren lied. The glass was really Coca-Cola and a droplet of rum, but Lauren tried her best to make it look convincing.

“You’ve been saying that to me all night!” Normani exclaimed nearly yanking the glass from Lauren as they both grinned wildly., “It’s like you want me to get wasted.”

“I’m just trying to show you a good time.” Lauren said with the grin, turning away to the bar.

“Wait!” Normani cried out pulling the straw into her mouth, “Get me the red one while you’re over there.”

“The 3-vodka punch?” Lauren asked, holding up the number with her fingers. Normani nodded excitedly as Lauren scurried from her sight. Lauren wasn’t even sure a punch like that was healthy...or possible for that matter. The drink Normani was really referencing was a weak mix of Tahitian Treat, cranberry juice, and a capful of some foreign alcohol brand that Lauren couldn’t pronounce. She hated to say it, but tricking Normani was easier than she thought.

With only four rotations of the drinks, Normani was already grinding on Lauren on the dancefloor, begging to go home and mess around, which had become a routine for them. Soon, enough Lauren obliged, gripping Normani’s forearm amongst the hoards of paparazzi, whispering in her to look like she wasn’t _“hammered”._  


“Don’t talk,” Lauren hissed into Normani’s ear, leading her along the sidewalk, “You’re slurring your words too much.”

Normani nodded, squinting her eyes at all of the sudden flashes from the cameramen lined up along the street. Thankfully, their chauffeur and bodyguard were able to mask them perfectly, hiding them from a shot that could put them in a sleazy tabloid article.

“I think you love bossing me around.” Normani mumbled, reaching for their door handle before their chauffeur opened it for her.

Normani climbed in slowly, plopping herself down on the expensive leather in an exasperated heap. Lauren sat beside her as the door shut, drawing the car into silence with the exception of the muffled shutter clicks and commands coming from outside the door. Normani rested her chin on her palm, glaring out of the tinted window, calculating her next move. Lauren sat quiet, as she pulled her phone from her clutch purse, grinning deviously. She hated the fact that she had to lie to someone she’d grown to really like but Lauren was determined to beat Normani at her own fucked up game.

“What are you smiling at?” Normani asked slowly, waving her finger in Lauren’s face, “I thought you were the loud one.”

“Oh I am,” Lauren replied, nodding her head, “I’m chill.”

“Well chill, I’m sorry.” Normani apologized, scooting to Lauren so that she could place her head on her shoulder.

“For what?” Lauren asked, slightly lurching forwards as the truck swerved into New York traffic.

“For being mean,” Normani said, dramatically pouting her lips, “I should’ve told those people the truth.”

“Mhm.”

“And I should’ve let you fuck me in the dressing room.” Normani added in a low voice, still pouting her lips.

“Normani!” Lauren gasped.

“Oh please,” she groaned, “You know you liked that.”

“Okay, Mani.” Lauren sighed carelessly.

“I know I'm fucked up right now....”

  
_“Bitch, please.”_ Lauren thought to herself, spreading her lips out into a grin.

“But since you wouldn’t let me pay for drinks,” Normani started, letting her voice drop into a husky tone, “I think it’s about time I return the favor.”

“How do you plan on doing that?” Lauren asked, grazing her index finger on her bottom lip.

Normani patted her lap, gazing at her thighs as she bossed, “C’mere.”

Lauren rolled her eyes, holding back an inviting smirk.

“You don’t wanna see me beg, babe.” Normani groaned, reaching for Lauren’s waist. Lauren watched Normani pout and bite her lip hard.

Lauren couldn’t resist the miserable look on her face. “Damn right, I don’t.” Lauren said as she scooted over to Normani, slowly sitting down on her thigh and facing towards the front of the car.

“What did you have in mind for me, Mani?” Lauren asked, turning her head towards Normani as her arm rolled down to the small of Lauren’s back, pulling her in closer.

“You really wanna know?” Normani rasped, watching Lauren nod her head desperately, “I wanna finish what you started.”  Swiftly, Normani moved her hand up to tangle in jet black hair and pushed Lauren’s lips into hers.

The kiss became heated in an instant. The side of Normani’s thumb pad grazed Lauren’s jaw while the rest of her hand was on the nape of her neck, bringing her in closer as she sluggishly pushed her tongue into Lauren’s mouth. They both groaned over the muffled sounds of traffic coming from outside, rolling their hips into each others. With each grind of the hip, Lauren could feel her skirt hike up gradually, which only made her move faster onto Normani’s thighs.  

Lauren whined softly as Normani pulled away only to lean back in and bite at her lip softly.

“Oh, god.” Lauren moaned in between liplocks, lifting up Normani’s head with the tip of her finger. A sudden whir in the car caused Lauren to peel herself off of Normani’s lips, only turning to see the tinted partition rolling up. Normani’s lips then moved down to the base of Lauren’s neck as she sucked and bit at the skin.

“M-mani,” Lauren stuttered, “D-don’t leave a mark, I c-can’t-”

“No promises.” Normani replied, rolling her tongue along Lauren’s neck.  Normani’s hand moved from Lauren’s hair to the knot on Lauren’s tie-front top, rubbing her thumb on her stomach, then moving it up to expose her breasts, gently pinching her pert nipples.

“These windows are t-tinted, right?” Lauren asked breathily. Normani quickly hushed Lauren by bringing their lips back together in another heated kiss.

Normani then moved her hand from Lauren’s chest, down past her stomach, and stopped once she twiddled the silver zipper of Lauren’s skirt in between her fingers.

“Shit.” Lauren moaned while Normani bit at her lip. The darker girl quickly tugged at Lauren’s zipper, pulling it down as far as it could go, grinning onto Lauren’s lips.  

“Please, j-just,” Lauren whispered, causing Normani to pull away again.

“What?” Normani hissed, slightly taken by the sight of Lauren’s glossy eyes and swollen lips, “Do you want me to stop?”

“No, j-just...god, don’t tease me.” Lauren pleaded.

“No promises.” Normani replied, before latching her lips to Lauren’s neck and sliding her hand down her skirt.

“Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t have underwear on?” Normani asked echoing Lauren's inquisition from earlier in the day in between kisses.

“I-I felt like I wouldn't need them.” Lauren stammered, groaning as Normani cupped her hand over the woman’s center.

“Mhm.” Normani moaned against Lauren’s neck.

Lauren’s arousal was more than evident, the wetness already seeped onto Normani’s fingers.  Normani deliberately slipped her fingers back and forth across her sex, blatantly ignoring Lauren’s pleas.

The green eyed woman arched her back in attempt to get Normani’s fingers where she wanted them, but her lover wouldn’t oblige.

“Please, Mani.” Lauren begged desirably, resting her head on Normani’s shoulder, “Just do it.”

“Do what?” Normani asked mischievously, still sliding, rubbing, and flicking her middle finger along Lauren’s clit.

“Just fuck me already.” Lauren moaned desperately, throwing her head back.

Normani licked her lips, watching Lauren furrow her eyebrows and pout out her lips in desperation. She slid her middle, pressing softly on Lauren’s entrance, but not enough to penetrate.

“You don’t like to listen to me, do you?” Lauren asked, breathing heavier than before. Normani shrugged her shoulders, spreading her lips in a cunning smile. Finally, Normani obeyed as she sunk her finger almost knuckle deep into Lauren.

Normani and Lauren groaned at the new sensations. Normani  leaned her head on the leather seat behind her as she  slowly began to slide in and out of the green-eyed woman, squeezing her thighs together every time Lauren swore, grunted, or moaned. Now, Lauren was slumped over Normani, scratching wildly at the leather surrounding them, secretly hoping that all of her weight on Normani’s lap didn’t hurt her.

“Ay,” Lauren moaned against Normani’s neck, “M-more.”

Surprisingly, Normani complied, quickly slipping her ring finger inside of her. More of Lauren’s arousal gushed out of her and slid down Normani’s wrist as she bucked her hips against Normani’s hand.

“Damn, Lauren,” Normani sighed, biting at Lauren’s neck, “I didn’t know you were this sensitive.”

Despite the growing burning sensation in Normani’s forearm, she could sense that Lauren was close as she grinded on her fingers, moaning louder and louder. So, she thrusted harder in her, quietly grunting along with the green eyed woman. Lauren squeezed her eyes shut, still leaning  her head back while Normani sucked at her newfound sweet spot in the middle of her neck.

Lauren’s breaths quickly became heavier, which only made Normani push faster, letting the slick sounds reverberate around the walls of the car.

“Do you want me to make you come?” Normani croaked hoarsely in an attempt to drive Lauren closer.

“Fuck yes.” Lauren hissed, pouting her lips out even further and breathing heavily through her teeth. What pushed Lauren over was Normani biting  harshly at her sweet spot, causing her to slump back down onto Normani’s shoulder.

Lauren let out a low-pitched, hoarse, grunt, falling over the edge completely. Lauren's walls tightened drastically around Normani’s fingers, making her unable to thrust further. Normani slowed her pumping as Lauren rode out her orgasm, spasming and gushing all over Normani’s hand. Lauren was making a mess, but the darker girl watched on in awe and satisfaction almost drooling at the sight.

“Mani.” Lauren repeated in hushed whimpers, shuddering over Normani’s body as her orgasm ripped through her.

Normani removed her hand from Lauren as her grip loosened on her fingers, breathing heavily. Both women groaned at the loss but both gasped in awe as Normani brought her hand up to the light given off  by the passing streetlights, which was coated all the way down to her wrist.  

“Oh God,” Normani hissed, planting a soft kiss on Lauren’s lips, “Are you gonna help me remember this in the morning, baby? It'd be a shame if I didn't.”

Lauren scoffed, sliding herself off of Normani, trembling slightly.

“I don’t think I'll have to.” Lauren quietly replied as she settled into her seat.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this chapter on Wattpad last Sunday but I didn't post it on here because I couldn't post from my phone. Sorry! Hope you like this chapter though!

**_"There is always a calm before the storm"_ **

 

"Why is your jacket all zipped up like that?" Normani asked, throwing away her paper plate and chewing on the remnants of the perfectly cooked omelette Lauren made for her.

"Like what?" Lauren asked, looking down at her oversized athletic jacket that was zipped up all the way to her chin in attempt to hide the dark hickeys on the side of her neck.

"Why is it zipped up all the way?" Normani questioned, "And you're raising your shoulders....what are you trying to hide?"

"You know damn well what I'm trying to hide." Lauren scoffed.

Normani shook her head cluelessly, turning to her red-faced roommate.

"What?" Normani asked with a smile, "Are you cold?"

"Fuck you." Lauren replied coldly, unzipping her jacket, showing off the string of dark bruises on the side of her neck. " **These** , are what I'm trying to hide!" Lauren cried out, pointing to the area.

"You might wanna put some ice on 'em." Normani advised, watching Lauren step away from her to throw her plate into the trash.

"Shut the fuck up." Lauren swore, "I won't even let you finish that big ass lie."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you kidding me?!" Lauren hissed, "Every time we go out, you always get drunk and come onto me! Then the next day you act like it never happened, what's your fucking problem?!" Lauren paused as she watched her roommate snicker, "And why the hell are you laughing?!"

"Because it's fun making you mad." Normani said sweetly, carefully watching Lauren's face, "I can't help it." Normani admitted while reaching for the other woman's hand, pulling her closer.

"So," Lauren started, blushing slightly, "You w-were joking?"

Normani nodded her head, adding an innocent, "Mhm." while biting her lip.

"So y-you do remember?"

"Yes." Normani moaned erotically. Lauren sighed as the memory from the the prior night flickered in her mind.

Normani pulled Lauren even closer to her body as Lauren threw her hands around the dark-skinned woman's neck.

"You know what else I remember?" Normani asked seductively, running her tongue over her lips, then pursing them together.

"What?" Lauren rasped, leaning towards Normani's lips, puckering her own slightly.

"You. Trying to trick me." Normani bitterly enunciated, shoving Lauren away from her, "I'm not that stupid!"

"W-what are you talking about?" Lauren stammered, taking her eyes off of Normani.

"You swear you're so slick," Normani sighed, strutting towards her bedroom as Lauren hastily followed, "You  _really_  thought that I wouldn't notice what was in the drinks, or rather what  _wasn't_  in the drinks you gave me?"

"I thought you'd take my word for it."

"I couldn't take your word for it when your supposed 3 Vodka Punch tasted like a Capri Sun."

"Tahitian Treat." Lauren corrected, leaning against Normani's doorframe.

"Oh, whatever." Normani scoffed, reaching for her packed suitcase, "If you wanted me to fuck you, you could've just asked."

Lauren gulped at Normani's sharp change in subject matter.

"That wasn't my intent." Lauren said, watching Normani toss more items into her suitcase, "It was an experiment."

"To find out what? To  _see_  if I'd fuck you?!"

"No, no, no." Lauren protested, "Well...yes, b-"

"Ha!" Normani exclaimed, looking up at her roommate to point knowingly, "I knew it!"

"But it was only to see if you'd be in denial."

"That's pretty fucking diabolical." Normani said, looking up from her suitcase to glare at her roommate, "And strangely enough, I find your actions kind of...sexy."

"Y-you do?" Lauren stammered.

"Yeah, I like people who don't take shit lying down. I respect people who try to level the playing field. There's really not many who are willing to fight with whatever life is throwing at them."

Lauren swiped her eyes off of Normani's, biting her lip.

"Anyways, you got what you wanted, right?" Normani added, zipping up her bags. Lauren stood quiet, pursing her lips in contemplation.

"Right?" Normani asked, louder than before, "You wanted me to fuck you and I did, huh? That was what you wanted, right?"

"Well, yeah," Lauren answered, slumping down in defeat in a dramatic sigh, "But a title for all of this would be nice too."

"A title, hm?" Normani pondered, dragging her luggage onto the bedroom carpet, "What do you mean by that?"

Lauren paused to gather her thoughts, "I'm sure friends or roommates don't  _do_  what we do."

"You're gonna have be a little more specific." Normani advised, pulling her suitcase behind her as she passed Lauren through the doorway.

"Friends don't have sex with each other, that's what I meant." Lauren replied quickly, watching Normani stop in front of her, expressionless.

Normani sighed as she tapped her pointer finger on her chin, "So you want...something official?"

Lauren nodded seriously, still leaning lazily on the doorframe.

"We'll see." Normani replied astutely, turning away from Lauren and pulling her suitcase behind her, "Now, let's get on the road, we have a flight to catch."

\--

 

"Ah, Mrs. Hamilton! It's so nice to hear from you again." Niko cheered, momentarily cupping his hand on his phone's mic to mute the sound of the brunette Latina moaning on top of him.

"Call me Andrea, Niko." Normani's mother replied with a chuckle, "I assume Brandee has told you about the surprise party in New Orleans on Saturday, right?"

"Yes!" Niko replied excitedly, "Yeah, she did tell me. I already pulled some strings s-"

"So you'll be able to make it?"

"Of course. I fly out there early Saturday morning."

"Perfect!" Andrea sighed, "She's gonna be so excited! Everytime I call her she always talks about how much she misses you."

"Aw she's the sweetest, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." Niko praised, stroking the now-quiet brunette's head as she bobbed her mouth on his member, "I feel like I haven't seen her in years."

"Same here, that's for sure." Andrea agreed with a chuckle.

"I also had a few tricks up my sleeve for the party."

"Oh, please share!" Andrea urged.

Niko laughed, meeting eyes with the Latina as he replied, "I bought her that Rolex she's always wanted...and a little something extra."

"What is it?" Andrea asked eagerly.

"You remember that Range Rover she's had her eye on?"

Andrea gasped on the other line, "You didn't!"

"It's custom, but they're making sure it gets down there in time."

"You're an absolute gem, Niko." Andrea praised, "I can tell why she loves you so much."

"Ah, stop it." Niko chuckled, raising his eyebrows as the brunette Latina momentarily stopped her fellatio, taking Niko's words seriously. He cupped his hand over the mic to whisper, _"No, not you, Mila."_  before they exchanged a giggle and the Latina resumed her sucking.

"Where are you now?" Andrea asked, "I heard you're making moves this year!"

"Oh," Niko replied humbly, "I'm in Atlanta now doing the finishing touches on the Minaj album, then I'm going straight into a top secret project. I'm so thankful I was able to make time for Normani's birthday."

"We are too." Andrea said, "Everyone is so excited to meet you, especially Derrick. You'd think most fathers would try hard to intimidate their daughter's boyfriends but not him. He's basically been bouncing off the walls."

"He's intimidated me every time we've play Madden together, do you really think he's excited to see me?"

"Oh all that video game trash talk is an act, he just does that for fun." Andrea said, "He's really excited, trust me."

"Phew, good." Niko sighed, "I'm a lot more relieved about that then."

"Don't sweat it, Niko. Think of us as your second family."

"I'll be sure to do that." Niko assured.

"Then," Andrea paused, "Who knows? Maybe in a few years you'll be giving my little girl a ring."

"Yeah," Niko sighed with a fake chuckle, "Who knows?"

\--

 

"That last time I was down here for a birthday, I didn't remember shit the next day." Normani recalled, pushing her reflective sunglasses up the bridge of her nose.

"You and not remembering things, Mani, I swear." Lauren scoffed, gazing with fascination at the blaring brass bands, tipsy tourists, and specialty portraits lined upon the crowded streets of New Orleans. From the moment they landed, Normani wouldn't stop talking about the places that they had to visit and the food that they had to try. It didn't annoy Lauren one bit but she could tell it was affecting Peyton, her drummer, who suddenly decided to tag along with them when they left their hotel. Allyson and Candece had come along as well but Lauren's drummer refused to leave the her side as he listened to Normani and Lauren share meaningless stories and flirtations filled with highly inappropriate innuendos.

"I'm so ready to dig into y'all's food." Allyson exclaimed, letting her Texan southern drawl stick out.

"Have you been here before, Ally?" Normani asked, taking Lauren's hand as they walked down the busy street.

"Yeah but," Allyson answered with a giggle, "To be honest, I don't remember much"

"Same." Peyton added with a fake grin, glaring at Lauren and Normani's joined hands.

"Same here." Candece said, "I wasn't even of age, it was awful."

"You probably flashed a whole bunch of rich old white dudes for shots." Lauren assumed jokingly.

"Yup, you're right." Candece jeered, "100 percent right." The small group laughed boisterously as Lauren turned to Normani, deliberately winking at her.

"So," Allyson started, "Are you ready for your 22nd, down here, Normani? What are you trying to do?" Lauren bit her lip in an attempt to keep her mouth shut. She couldn't keep a secret to save her life so it was taking much of her willpower to not mention the surprise party Normani's family had planned for her.

"I don't know probably just bar hopping," Normani said, "You all are welcome to join me if that's your thing. Only a handful of my friends were coming, it would be nice to hang out with a bigger group for once."

"That seems...nice." Lauren replied quickly with a voice crack, "I-I'm down."

"What's gotten into you, Lolo?" Normani asked, tightening her grip on Lauren's hand and leaning in to whisper in her ear "You've been acting all high strung ever since we've landed."

"I guess," Lauren squeaked, clearing her throat as she continued, "I guess it's the humidity...it's brutal down here."

"But you're from Miami."

Lauren paused to think of another excuse, but with nothing coming to mind, she lied "Yeah...b-but it's worse down here. A lot worse."

"I guess when we go there that's when I'll compare the two." Normani said, turning to Lauren, who was beet red in the face, "Goddamn, you've got to chill out."

"Just buy her a drink, she'll get over it." Candece mentioned, "But not too much, don't want her hung over during the performance tomorrow."

"We certainly don't want that." Allyson added, chuckling with the A&R.

The sweet, yet humid, New Orleans air was a lot more homey than in New York. Hardly anyone had their heads tucked down to avoid friendly conversation, barely anyone power walked to their destination. Most everyone greeted them with a smile, even the ones that didn't recognize them as famous. It gave the group a sense of humility that escaped the typical American city. To Lauren and the others, it was a foreign, yet comforting feeling, while for Normani, it felt like home.

"So Normani," Peyton started, deliberately breaking through the gap between her and Lauren, forcing them to release hands in the process, "How long did you live here?"

"Up until Katrina, so for about a little over a decade." Normani replied, looking up to meet the tall drummer's light brown eyes, "And what about yourself, where are you from?"

"Born in Cuba, raised in Miami."

"Is that how you two met?" Normani asked, pointing to Lauren, whom already had her eyes glued on the darker woman.

"Yeah," Lauren replied, "Our dads used to force us to play music together at all of the family parties and he's been drumming for me ever since."

"That is so cute." Normani gawked, tilting her head to to the side with a beaming grin, "And I already know you're from Texas, Ally, I can tell just from your accent."

"I didn't know it was that bad," Ally gasped, "I think it sticks out more when I'm down here."

"Mine does too." Normani drawled jokingly, bringing her eyes back onto the crowded street, "Oh! Lauren, here's the boutique I thought you'd like."

Lauren turned her head to the open doorway, "Ah, sweet, let's go in." Normani turned to Peyton, Candece, and Ally and asked sweetly, "Is it okay if we meet y'all at the bar? I promise we won't be long, I just promised th-"

"Oh no that's fine!" Ally reassured, "We'll get us a table then."

"Aw, thanks Ally." Normani gushed, following Lauren through the boutique doorway, "We'll be down there in a few minutes, I promise we won't take long."

"Take your time," Candece taunted, "It looks like you two need some private time anyways." she sighed to herself as she watched Peyton clench his jaw in annoyance.

Normani turned around to smile once more as Lauren's team zoomed off into the crowd, leaving the pair underneath the doorway.

"Finally." Lauren whispered to herself, taking Normani's hand and leading her through the boutique.

"This place is.....fitting for your personal style, I thought you'd enjoy it." Normani said, looking up at the mannequins in the window display, "Let me know if you find something."

"Why?" Lauren questioned, pulling her fingers over the clothes hangers.

"Well," Normani started, looking around suspiciously before stepping closer to Lauren as she bit her lip and arched her eyebrow, "I wanna pay for it."

"No, no." Lauren protested, pulling a few strands of her black hair behind her ear before coyly turning back to the clothes rack, "You've spent too much on me already...and it's your birthday week, not mine."

"No, it'll be my pleasure, Lo, I'm serious."

"I can pay for it myself, thank you very much."

"Can you?" Normani asked squinting her eyes, "Can you really?" Lauren peered at one of the price tags before scoffing frustratedly.

"Fuck." Lauren swore with the realization that almost everything in the boutique was probably outside of her price range.

"Just pick out something you like." Normani said, wrapping her arms around Lauren's waist as she perused the clothing racks.

"Mani, you know we're in public, right?" Lauren whispered in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, but this whole store is practically empty," Normani admitted with a smile, "Who could be watching us?" she asked before leaning in to plant her lips on Lauren's cheek, giggling as she watched Lauren blush almost immediately.

"Speaking of things that deal with vision," Lauren started, refocusing on the clothes, "W-what did you mean by 'we'll see'? That's what you said before we left New York."

Normani rolled her tongue on the inside of her cheek as she turned to the other side of the rack, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.

"I need to talk to you about that." Normani sighed, "That's why I kinda separated us from the others."

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked quietly, "Were you not being honest with me or something?"

"No, I'll always be honest to you, Lauren." Normani lied. "Like...in regards to that whole title thing, that's where most of my reservations arise."

"Reservations?" Lauren asked, cocking her head, "What do you mean by that?"

Normani took another pause, avoiding Lauren's eye contact to think of a simplified way to admit her problem, "It's just the commitment thing that scares me."

"I..understand completely." Lauren stuttered as she tried not to think about her old, painful memories with Niko, "Honestly. It's really difficult to get over."

"I just- really care about you. And despite me trying to fight you off, you are special to me." Normani admitted, "But it's so hard and scary for me to reconcile with my feelings with this kind of stuff," she scoffed, breaking from Lauren's eye contact again, "I'm surprised you haven't cussed me out yet."

"No, no, why would I do that?" Lauren asked, furrowing her eyebrows, "I really understand the place you're coming from. Trust me, I've been there."

"Really?" Normani asked meekly, bringing her eyes up to Lauren's.

"Yes." Lauren replied, "I get how hard that can be, Mani."

"I'll try to be more," Normani paused, "accommodating towards your needs until it all passes over. I just...I just hope you don't shun me or whatever."

"Well, I won't." Lauren disagreed, "I promise."

"You promise?" Normani asked sincerely, "Over everything?"

"Over everything." Lauren reiterated, nodding her head.

"Divas!" Candece cried out in a sing-songy voice, strutting into the boutique, "We finally got the table at the restaurant across the street."

"Perfect!" Normani answered, holding up a dress Lauren had picked out. "I'll just buy this first and we'll be right over." Normani discreetly winked at Lauren before she stalked towards the cashier, leaving Candece and Lauren alone for a few moments.

"I'm glad to see you two getting along, now." Candece praised, eyeing Lauren suspiciously.

"Yup," Lauren agreed, "She's a really good...friend."

Candece leaned towards Lauren over the clothes rack, arching her eyebrow, "I'm sure friends don't leave lipstick prints on other friend's cheeks."

Lauren gasped as she quickly rubbed at her cheek and felt them flood with color.

"Same with the hickeys, too." Candece added with a wink before turning slowly out of the boutique, "But do you, though."

\--

"I can't fucking do this, Normani," Lauren gasped over the roars of applause coming from the stage.

"Lauren, don't you dare back out on me now." Normani urged, placing her hands on Lauren's shoulders, "You worked your ass off for this comeback, you better not quit." Lauren fanned her eyes with her hands, breathing heavier and heavier with each inhale.

Lauren was usually calm before performances but something about this one was so intimidating, she'd tried to keep her mind off of it all day. Something about the extravagant ivory costumes, and bright lights, suddenly became frightening when Lauren peered out onto the stage before her own set. She missed all of the aspects of performing live for so long, they had become foreign and most importantly, frightening. Rehearsals in New York couldn't have gone better but now that the time to return and debut some new songs and the new single had finally arrived, Lauren wanted to back down from it all, filled with old insecurities.

"I know, I know, I'm just afraid that they won't like it." Lauren replied quickly with her voice cracking.

"You are so over dramatic, I swear to God!" Normani cried out.

"Mani, that's not helping!" Lauren yelled, jumping nervously.

"Shhh, take a second and listen to that crowd," Normani commanded, letting Lauren close her eyes as the chants of her name reached her ears, "They came here to see you put on a show and that's what we're doing."

"Bu-"

"Shut the fuck up will you?!" Normani hushed, "We are going to go out there and kill it, right?" Lauren sat silent as her breathing slowed.

"Right?!" Normani yelled.

"Right." Lauren replied.

"Now you go show them what you've got." Normani said, handing Lauren's microphone to her. "Got it?"

"Got it."

"Good," Normani added, "Now get your ass out there before you miss your cue." Lauren nodded as she flicked the mic's on button with her thumb and readjusted her in-ears before she trotted back out onto the stage, causing the entire audience to roar with excitement. Lauren beamed at the familiar sound, disregarding her anxious thoughts from earlier as she launched into her set.

 

An hour later, Lauren's solo set was complete.

The green-eyed beauty squinted her bright eyes over the setting sun as she brought the mic up to her lips. "Alright, New Orleans, this encore is gonna be a little different." She turned around to Peyton and held up a hand signal, "I'm gonna give you beautiful people a very special treat on this gorgeous night." Lauren set her mic stand to the side, tossing it off to one of the stagehands, "This next person that I'm going to bring out was raised in this amazing city and they are so excited to be debuting our new single in their hometown. So everyone, please give it up for my girl, Normani Kordei!"

The audience bursted with another applause as Normani hopped out from the wings, waving to the energetic crowd.

"How y'all feeling tonight, New Orleans?" Normani yelled, pointing her mic out into the audience, putting her free hand up to her ear. Normani sped up to her mark once she heard Peyton count off for the instrumental intro.

As his tasteful beat rocked the stage, Lauren said, "Now, Normani and I did all of this song together." They shared a grin, "It's different, we know but we also know that it'll get you on your feet so please, New Orleans, enjoy our new single, 'Hands On Me'!"

The band repeated another measure of the instrumental as Lauren strutted to her mark, smoldering with the sexiness her stage presence had always demonstrated. She glared at Normani once more as they exchanged optimistic smiles before the darker woman snapped into her more aggressively sexual and energetic version of her regular self.

 

Like clockwork, the two women launched right into their choreography. Every pop of the hip, harmony, and arch of the back was so together it looked like Lauren and Normani were sharing the same brain. Lauren kept up without losing her breath and Normani didn't have to carry Lauren's anxious weight across the entire stage. Both of them put their best forth and it was evident even in the first few seconds.

 

 _"Trembling when you touch. Rush is racing, body baking. Picture me and you makin, makin sweet love,"_  Normani sang as she seductively gritted her teeth and thrusted her hips,  _"Baby, give it to me."_

They were so in sync, they looked like they finally looked like a unit, acting in 2 different bodies. Sean who was in attendance for support, stood in the wings with his jaw agape.

Lauren vibing off the performance assumed Normani's signature crouch as she made eye contact with one of the front row concert-goers, singing out the sexy lyrics,  _"I might be a little thing but I like that long."_  It seemed like yesterday that Lauren was moving stiffly to her own beat, frustrated with the fact that Normani could get down choreography faster and smoother than she could. However, that night, Lauren moved just as swiftly as Normani did and they both maintained the almost intimidating presence of their dynamic. Despite the contrast, as they rocked and gyrated their hips to the last chorus, the young women on the stage could tell that the crowd was living for it.

 

In New Orleans, Normani was revered as a local celebrity and to see her with performing a potential hit with an artist as big and different as the Lauren Jauregui not only sparked their energy, but made the whole stage rattle with deafening screams and cheers. Once the women ended the song, back to back and breathless, the applause only grew, causing Lauren's eyes to well up slightly. Obviously, she realized she was being her overly dramatic self, but the moment was so emotional, given that she'd worked so hard on making the project work, especially since she once loathed her collaborator. As they gave their countless 'thank yous' and 'goodnights' the cheers refused to subside, even after they strutted off of the stage, beaming with bright smiles.

 

"You killed it, baby!" Normani jeered, placing their mics on a storage desk before a stagehand redirected the pair back to their dressing room.

"That felt so fucking good." Lauren sighed, feeling the humid breeze vanish as she walked down the flight of steps behind her collaborator.

"I told you it wasn't gonna be that bad," Normani said, "Your dramatic ass was just overreacting, that's all."

"Yeah." Lauren squeaked, walking down the long, dim hallway and searching for the door with her and Normani's name printed on it, "You were right about that one."

"Aren't I always?" Normani asked, opening the door for Lauren as she hopped into their dressing room.

"Oh, shut up." Lauren scoffed, holding the door open as Normani trailed in, shutting it loudly behind her.

"But seriously," Normani started, basking in the newfound silence of their dressing room, "I'm so fucking proud of you, baby."

"Aw, Mani." Lauren said, blushing again as Normani followed Lauren into the private bathroom, "Thank  _you_  for teaching me all of that in such a short period of time." Lauren said as she reached behind the curtain to turn on the showerhead with one hand and untying the loop at the bottom of her white corset halter top with the other.

"I'm serious," Normani stated, dropping her voice to a husky tone and swaying towards the green eyed woman, "And you looked so sexy up there, I swear you were driving me crazy."

"Oh really?" Lauren asked mischievously, wrapping her arms around Normani's neck.

"Yes, really." Normani answered, lightly pushing Lauren against the cool tile of the bathroom.

"Is this you being  _accommodating_?" Lauren pondered aloud as Normani's hands traveled down to Lauren's ass, "Or are you just turned on right now?"

"I'd say both." Normani rasped before fervently crashing their lips together. Lauren groaned against Normani's lips surprisingly, even when she slid her tongue over Lauren's almost instantly.

"Wait, wait, wait," Lauren gasped, pulling her lips off of Normani's, "It is your birthday weekend, right?"

"Yeah."

"So...you should let me take care of you for once." Lauren breathed.

"You really like fucking up the mood, don't you?"

Normani cut off Lauren's response with her lips, causing her to gasp again. Normani put one hand on Lauren's chest as she continued to untie her top, letting it fall off of her shoulders carelessly. Normani grinned against Lauren's lips as she took her other hand around the back of her neck, desperately drawing her closer.

Lauren hissed through her teeth as Normani moved from her lips to her jaw, planting wet kisses all along it.

"You know what I know about you, babe?" Normani husked, frantically shimmying down Lauren's shorts over her thick thighs and tossing them to the side

"What?" Lauren moaned as Normani nipped at her sweet spot.

"I know you want me," Normani said, stopping to glare into Lauren's hooded emerald eyes, "And I know how bad you want to do me." She resumed leaving reddened marks and soft bites over Lauren's neck, soothing everything with with strokes from her warm tongue.

"And we both know that Lauren Jauregui doesn't do things that she doesn't want to so I really know how bad you want me." She added with an arrogant chuckle.

"Yeah, right there." Lauren moaned, pointedly ignoring Normani's comment.

"Anyways, right now you're just gonna have to go with it. You'll have your chance to return the favor. Now can you let me take control, babe?"

"Uh huh." Lauren squeaked, ripping off Normani's ivory bolero jacket, "Just...please-"

"Fuck you already, I know the drill." Normani groaned, crouching to wrap her hands around Lauren's thighs, swiftly hoisting her up and leaning her against the tiled wall.

"Holy shit." Lauren marveled, smiling as she leaned her head against the bathroom wall and tightly wrapped her legs around Normani's waist.

As Normani continued to suck at Lauren's neck, reaching her hand towards Lauren's bare center, and hummed, "We really shouldn't be doing this here," she paused to kiss along Lauren's collarbone, "But since we are," she looked up and met eyes with Lauren, who bit her lip in a desperate silent plea for contact, "I'm gonna make you come against this wall right now."

"Shit." Lauren swore, leaning her head forwards to meet Normani's lips in another heated lip lock and tightening her grip around Normani's petite waist, "You're so dirty, Mani."

"You don't even know the half of it." Normani whispered to herself, bringing her lips to Lauren's exposed nipple.

Thankfully, the showerhead blocked out their louder moans that spread across the dressing room as Normani continued to bite, lick, and knead around Lauren's body knowing that it was driving Lauren crazy.

"Quit f-fucking t-t-teasing." Lauren murmured, trying to untie Normani's halter top, "I want you so fucking bad why can't you j-"

 

"Are we interrupting something?" a voice hissed. Immediately, Lauren's grip on Normani's waist loosened as she slid back down the wall, shivering with fear and arousal.

Normani snapped her head to the bathroom door, which had been wide open the entire time. Ally and Candece stood in the dressing room on the other side of the doorway with both of their jaws agape.

 

"How'd you even get in here?!" Lauren asked harshly, covering up her naked body with her hands as Normani stood off to the side, glaring at the ground.

"The...t-the door was unlocked." Ally admitted shyly.

"But w-we'll let you two have at it." Candece added, awkwardly turning towards the exit, "We'll be back in 20."

The two women scurried out of their dressing room, both brick red in the face.

"Thanks for leaving the door unlocked." Normani said sarcastically, flicking Lauren's shoulder.

"No, bitch that was your fault, not mine!" Lauren negated, pointing her finger in the older woman's face.

"You opened the door!"

"So what? You're the one that closed it!"

"Well, either way, the shit was still wide open." Normani sighed, "Practically your whole fucking team saw me sucking on your tits!"

"They saw me naked, how do you think I feel?!" Lauren asked, running her fingers through her hair. They both groaned frustratedly, letting the noise of spurting water from the shower head fill the bathroom.

"We both feel shitty, I get that." Normani said, sighing in an attempt to regain her composure. "But...they know now, so we might as well finish each other off-"

"No." Lauren interrupted, crossing her arms exasperatedly.

"You know you wanna. We got 20 minutes we can make it quick." Normani said, grazing Lauren's arms, "Pweaaase," she pleaded, "It's my birthday."

"You're such a freak, Mani." Lauren groaned, leaning her head against the cold tile again.

"So that's a yes?!"

"Only if you let me get you off first."

"You've got yourself a deal Lauren Michelle." Normani drawled with a wink, skipping to the shower.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just letting yall know that the following scene is real real hoe-y so if you aren’t down with that feel free to skip to the scene break :)

 

_**“The truth will set you free, but at first, it will make you miserable.” -James A. Garfield** _

__

"Mmmm." Normani groaned as she awoke from her light sleep. Soft music played in the hotel room and reached her ears, bringing her close to consciousness with every beat. Once she slowly opened her eyes and looked down at her body, she gasped at the sight of Lauren’s hand softly rubbing her clit.

“Morning, birthday girl.” Lauren rasped quietly into her ear, grazing her naked breasts against Normani’s back. Steadily, Normani turned onto her back, hissing through her teeth as Lauren continued to rub against her. Lauren giggled quietly before she leaned down to take one of Normani’s pert nipples into her mouth, lightly biting down.

“Goddamn.” Normani marveled, spreading her lips into a giddy smile.  Lauren felt a rush of wetness on her fingers as she continued to rub her lover's swollen clit.

"What a nice way to wake up." Normani exhaled. Lauren smirked, licking and nipping her way up to Normani’s lips, nibbling on them gently until she was granted access. Almost instantly, their tongues danced as Normani rubbed her hands down the sides of Lauren's body, eventually reaching her ass and squeezing it tightly over her snug spandex volleyball shorts. In response, Lauren took Normani’s bottom lip in her own, biting down on it harder than usual. Normani groaned on Lauren’s lips, bringing her hand to her ass in a solid spank.

Normani swiftly backed her head away, causing their lips to detach with a loud ‘smack’.

"Babe, it feels like I've only been asleep for an hour." Normani admitted as her eyebrows furrowed quizzically.

"Because it has been an hour....and thirty minutes." Lauren replied with a sly grin, looking into Normani’s hooded eyes as she resumed to slowly rub her clit. "We won't have much time tonight because our flight is tomorrow so I'm doing what I can now.”

“You know I like a woman with a plan.” Normani said, pulling the side of her lip in between her teeth wantonly.

“And I've been waiting too long to fuck you properly." Lauren added, raising her eyebrows.

"Well then." Normani replied with a giggle, "For once I'm not gonna stop you."

“You have to do what I say, though.” Lauren clarified as her eyes scanned Normani’s naked body.

Normani grinned as she answered suggestively, “I can do that for you.” Lauren nodded as she moved off of Normani to the other side of the large king bed, settling down atop the blankets.

"C'mere." Lauren commanded sending shivers of excitement down Normani’s back. Normani shot up with desire burning in her eyes and crawled over to Lauren, sitting beside her on her knees.

"Get up. Stand above me." Lauren directed. Always interested in playing games, Normani slowly stood, lifting one leg over Lauren's body. With both of Normani’s legs straddling Lauren’s waist she swayed to the beat of the Miguel song playing in the room from her iPhone.  She quickly slid her hands up her stomach and to her breasts, pinching her nipples for Lauren.

"Is this what you want baby?" Lauren licked her lips, staring up intensely at Normani’s fingers working her nipples.

"What I want...." Lauren drawled, gulping to regain her composure, "is for you to stop playing and sit on my face."

Normani’s eyebrows shot up with excitement, smiling grandly. "I'm so glad that you asked." Normani smartly replied, conceding to Lauren's request, kneeling so that she hovered her sex over Lauren's lips. Lauren wasted no time, her pink tongue quickly and expertly swiping Normani’s slit.

"Oh shit." Normani groaned out, shuddering slightly and moving one hand to grip the Latina's dark hair, pushing her face closer to where she needed it. Normani then placed her other hand to grasp at the headboard, biting her lip. Lauren brought her hands to Normani’s ass, spanking it roughly.

“God.” Normani cried out, grinding her hips fervently onto Lauren’s mouth, “A-again.”

“Hm?” Lauren moaned against Normani’s center, bringing her hands back to Normani’s hips in an attempt to steady her.

“Do that again.” Normani hissed desperately, closing her eyes and leaning her head back.

 Lauren smirked against her clit, drawing her tongue around it as she smacked her palm against Normani’s ass again, causing her to sharply arch her back.

Lauren giggled in satisfaction as she began swirling her tongue around Normani’s clit.

"More..." The dark girl begged, "Please more." Lauren licked her tongue around Normani's clit once more before she flattened her tongue, slowly moving down to Normani's entrance, teasingly poking her tongue in.

"Please fuck me Lauren. Please." Normani keened desperately, tightening her grip on Lauren’s hair. Lauren deliberately ignored her as she brought her tongue back up to her clit, causing Normani to groan frustratedly.

“Lauren.” Normani whined lustfully, “P-please.”  
Lauren leaned her head onto her pillow, detaching her lips from Normani’s center as she snapped, “Now you know how it feels, huh?”  

“God.” Normani hissed, desperately attempting to direct Lauren’s head to where she needed it most, “Lauren, quit it.” Lauren didn’t move an inch. She latched her eyes on Normani with her lips pursed, watching as she grinded her hips and arched her back promiscuously, absolutely ridden with lust. The way her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth sunk into her lip made Lauren squeeze her thighs together tightly.

“Alright,” Lauren broke down with a sigh, “You’ve suffered enough.”

Lauren quickly brought her lips back to Normani’s clit, sucking on it lightly. Normani moaned in relief as she resumed her grinding onto her lover’s lips. Lauren then flattened her tongue over Normani’s entrance and then plunged it in as far as she could push it.

"Unfff." Normani moaned as she began riding Lauren's tongue working herself into a frenzy.

Lauren lifted up her chin to meet Normani’s hips with each shallow thrust, feeling her juices slide over her mouth and chin.

"Use your fingers." Normani demanded suddenly. Lauren slowly slid her hand from Normani's ass where they'd been holding her steady to Normani's entrance as she moved her tongue up back to her clit. Normani leaned her head back lazily, groaning out desperately.

“Quit t-teasing.” Normani hissed. Immediately, Lauren obliged as she slowly slid in her middle finger, causing Normani to cry out Lauren’s name in a sharp gasp. Lauren groaned out against Normani’s clit, spanking her ass again with her free hand.

“Ah!” Normani whimpered, adding a hiss as Lauren rubbed the area with her palm. Their swears and moans became louder than the music and the hotel room grew hotter. Beads of sweat formed on their skin and Lauren began to slide her hand along Normani’s side, still licking and sucking at her clit and thrusting into her with her middle finger of her other hand.

As Lauren sped up the pace, Normani began to grind up and down on her hand, moaning and swearing.

"Fuck." Normani cursed as she felt a burn deep in her stomach build to almost an unbearable sensation, “Deeper.”

So, Lauren obeyed, thrusting harder than before and pressing her fingers towards her, repeatedly stroking Normani’s g-spot.

“Oo, shit.” Normani squealed, quickly taking her hand from the headboard to rub on Lauren’s slit over her tight spandex shorts.

“Mani.” Lauren whimpered, succumbing to Normani’s sudden actions by spreading her legs.  

“Keep doing that, Lauren.” Normani urged, “Right there,” she gasped as Lauren pressed her finger harder against her spot, “Y-yeah, right there.”  Lauren nodded as she felt Normani clench around her digits in a desperate attempt to bring them in further.

It wasn’t long until both of them were close, needing another push.

“Baby,” Normani squeaked, grinding onto her fingers. “S-s-s”

“Mm?” Lauren questioned, bucking into Normani’s hand that still rubbed up and down over her clit.

“Spank me again, Lauren.” Normani moaned, leaning her head back again. Lauren obeyed, knowing that Normani was close, and slapped her palm against Normani’s ass. The sensations of Lauren pressing her fingers inside of her, the subtle sting from her ass getting slapped and Lauren’s tongue clamped onto her clit were overwhelming and had Normani clenching, desperately close to release.

"I'm g-gonna c-c-come.” Normani stammered in between heavy breaths and strained squeaks, speeding up her strokes on Lauren’s center, “J-just gimme more."

Lauren obliged, this time hardly giving Normani a chance to adjust as her ring finger aided by the abundant lubrication Normani was providing was simply accepted in to join her other finger.

As their sounds became louder and their movements became more erratic, Lauren lifted her eyes to gaze at the woman riding on her face, nearly coming just from the sight. But Normani pulled Lauren out of her aroused trance, crying out, "I'm so full Lauren, I' think I-" Normani was cut off as her orgasm overtook her unexpectedly in the middle of her words. Lauren watched as her lover bucked her hips over her mouth, leaking down her hand. Normani repeated Lauren’s name in powerful, loud grunts, taking her hand from Lauren's hair to brace herself on the headboard, rubbing her other hand lazily on Lauren. Normani trembled and spasmed almost violently, rocking back and forth on Lauren’s flattened tongue.

"Shit Lauren." Normani moaned out, as she arched her back and squeezed her thighs, almost crushing Lauren's head in between them.

“Damn.” Normani whispered hoarsely, trembling through the aftershocks of her orgasm. Remembering Lauren still hadn't come, she slid her hand into Lauren's soaked shorts rubbing Laurens clit. Lauren then detached her mouth from Normani in an exasperated breath.

She groaned, sliding her fingers out of Normani to grab harshly at her ass. Lauren thrashed her head against the pillow, finally reacting to Normani’s erratic strokes. Normani continued as Lauren came, snapping her eyes to the green-eyed beauty, biting her lip with satisfaction. Lauren slapped her coated hand against Normani’s backside, moaning gutturally at the slick texture covering her fingers. Lauren arched her back and snapped her eyes shut, repeating Normani’s name hoarsely.

“I can't believe I didn’t think you could handle me. ” Normani marveled tiredly between heavy breaths as she withdrew her hand from Lauren's shorts. Lauren’s breathing slowed as she lazily opened her eyes, biting her bottom lip.

“I-I guess that means I proved you wrong, huh?” Lauren asked mumbling, still quivering from her own orgasm.

“Mhm...I never...” Mani trailed off as she scooted back to Lauren's waist, gasping at her juices that glistened all over Lauren's mouth.

“Never what?” Lauren rasped, licking her lips.

“I never tried that before,” Normani sighed, “Until now of course.” She brought her hands to Lauren’s sides and bit her lip, “And, damn was it good. Like the best I've ever had.”

“Happy Birthday, Mani.” Lauren said with an arrogant grin.

Normani scoffed playfully, leaning down to Lauren’s lips only to be interrupted by the ring of her iPhone.

“Dammit.” Normani whispered, shuffling off of Lauren’s body and hopping down onto the floor. Glancing at her phone she turned back to Lauren and brought her fingers to her lips, “It’s my mom, shh.” she hushed nervously, swiping at her phone.

“Hey, mama!” Normani greeted in a cheerful tone, vastly unlike the sexier one she had just been using.

Lauren laid up against the headboard, wrapping herself in the bed’s covers and gazing at Normani’s bare ass facing her from across the room. Lauren spread her lips into a satisfied grin as she listened in on the one-sided conversation. Andrea was most likely calling her to set up a fake dinner date, but little did Normani know that she would be going to a huge birthday party with all of her family and friends. Lauren felt warm inside just thinking about it. Even though fantastic sex was all she could gift Normani at the moment, she had no doubt that her being present at that night's surprise would be more than enough. She was ecstatic for Mani to celebrate her birthday with the people she loved most. The only thing she knew she would struggle with would be keeping the secret until the party started, which felt a lot more difficult now that it was so close.

“Great! I’m so excited to see you, mommy!” Normani gushed, turning to Lauren with a thumbs up and a bright smile.

“Yeah...Uh-huh....Perfect....So at 7? Alright, see you then.” Normani answered, “Love you.”

“What did your mom say?” Lauren asked, already formulating a response in her head.

“She’s in town for my birthday.” Normani replied sweetly, “And she invited us out to dinner tonight.”

“Awww.” Lauren said, blushing slightly, “She really wants me to tag along?”

“Yeah! She told me she really wants to meet you.” Normani told, climbing back into the bed.

“Ah, meeting the parents,” Lauren sighed, “We’ve only been fucking for a month or two, isn’t there like a six month rule or something?”

“Ah shut up,” Normani scoffed, pushing at Lauren’s bare shoulder, “It’s not like that.”

“Mhm.” Lauren replied stalely, turning her eyes in the opposite direction to avoid blurting out the truth.

“I don’t have time for your pettiness Lauren, it’s my birthday.” Normani clarified sternly, “But,” she started in a huskier voice, crawling towards Lauren, “I do have time for a few rounds before we have to go to eat.”

“I was eating just fine.” Lauren added matter of factly with a giggle.

Normani scoffed again before tilting up Lauren’s chin with her pointer finger, bringing their lips together in a chaste kiss.

\---

“God, Mani.” Lauren hissed, softly stroking Normani’s shoulder, her body gyrating in the SUV,  “We’re about to eat dinner with your mom for Christ’s sake.”

“Exactly,” Normani replied, kissing along Lauren’s neck with reckless abandon, “Which is why I’m doing this now.”

“But we’ve been doing this all day!” Lauren said, leaning back into her seat. “Are you always this horny?”

“That’s debateable.” Normani replied, cupping Lauren’s breast with her hand, “You know you like it though.”

“Y-yeah, I d-” Lauren stopped to gasp at Normani’s lips sucking on her skin, “I do, I just don’t like it b-”

“Look, baby,” Normani interrupted, momentarily stopping to look her in the eyes, “Do you want this or not?" She asked hesitantly. "I'll stop if you don't. It's your choice, I know I'm a lot to handle.”

They sat quietly as Lauren contemplated her response, the radio prodding at their silence.

“Do you?” Normani asked again, raising her eyebrows quizzically. Lauren’s jaw slacked as she marveled at Normani’s swollen lips, which had been nipping and sucking at her body ever since she woke up.

“Y-yes.” Lauren answered with a sharp nod, “I do.”

“That’s my girl.” Normani said with a smile, bringing her arm around to the nape of Lauren’s neck and crashing their lips together in a searing kiss.  As always, Normani didn’t waste time as she sluggishly stuck her tongue through Lauren’s lips, moaning against them in response. Lauren exhaled through her nose in a relaxed sigh as she stroked her hands along Normani’s sides, basking in the feeling of their lips and tongues swirling around gracefully.

“Erhm,” A voice from the front of the SUV started hesitantly, “We’re here ladies.”

Lauren jerked her lips off of Normani and blushed wildly, answering to their chauffeur, “Ah, a-alright. I-I-We’re sorry, about that.”

“No worries.” The chauffeur answered calmly, “I just didn’t want to disrupt the party.” As the driver exited the SUV to open their doors, Normani quickly scanned her eyes across Lauren’s body, double checking for any marks or lipstick stains.

“You have a lipstick print right on your collarbone.” Normani said, pointing to the area.

“Goddamn it, Normani.” Lauren hissed, rubbing at the spot “If you wanted to be frisky you could’ve worn a-”

“Matte lip, I know.” Normani interrupted, “But I really like marking you.”

“You’re so freaky, Mani, I swear.” Lauren scoffed, leaning up as the chauffeur opened her side of the door first, causing the light from the sunset to pour into the car.

“Well it _is_ my birthday, right?” Normani asked, patting Lauren’s ass as she climbed out of the SUV.

“Of course.” Lauren sighed, stepping out onto the sidewalk, “And that’s the trillionth time you’ve said that in the last 24 hours.” Lauren said as she turned to Normani, whom had just stepped on to the sidewalk. She gawked at her, the full effect of her lover's beauty weighing on her as she ran her eyes over Normani’s expensive designer shoes and curve-hugging red dress. She dragged her eyes up past her full lips meeting her dark brown eyes shining with a hint of confusion.

“Hm, I’ve never been on this side of the city much before.” Normani admitted, walking up to the building.

“I’ve heard of this place, before,” Lauren quickly lied, “It was on the Food Network one time.”

“Oh really?” Normani asked, reaching towards the handle, “It looks nice, it’s just a bit too quiet for a Saturday.”

“True,” Lauren agreed, hopping in front of Normani to pull at the handle, “Here, let me open the door.”

“Oh look at you!” Normani marveled, “Being all polite for the birthday-”

_**“SURPRISE!”**_ The whole room interrupted as the pair walked in. An elegantly decorated ballroom full of Normani’s friends and family were cheering and shouting with grand smiles spread upon their faces. Normani jerked back slightly only to jump up in her heels, excitedly squealing to the crowd.

“You knew about this?!” Normani asked, turning to Lauren with a bright smile. Lauren nodded sharply. Normani’s parents then emerged from the energetic crowd, spreading their arms out as the DJ began to play a celebratory 50 Cent song in honor of Normani’s arrival. Normani shot from Lauren’s side and brought both of her parents in for a long hug. Lauren blushed and grinned, almost envious of the fact that Normani was able to see her parents, unlike herself. As Normani began to stroll around to greet her other family members and friends, Lauren hesitantly followed, reaching her hand out to Derrick and Andrea.

“Thank you so much.” Andrea said, ignoring Lauren’s hand and pulling her into a tight hug, “We finally pulled it off!” Lauren giggled as she felt Normani’s father pat her shoulder.

“Glad you could do it without spilling the beans.” Derrick added in his deep voice.

“It’s so nice to meet you.” Lauren said sweetly, as the two of them rocked from side to side.

“How was the show last night?” Derrick asked as Lauren and Andrea separated.

“It was spectacular,” Lauren praised blushing, immediately reminded of their embarrassing moment in the dressing room shower, “The crowd loved the new song.”

“So it’s a hit?”

“I hope so!”

“There you are, stranger.” A deep voice greeted, tapping Lauren’s shoulder. Lauren excused herself from Normani’s parents, curiously wondering whose it was.

“Peyton!” Lauren squealed, throwing her arms around her drummer’s neck, “I thought you were flying back tonight!”

“No, we pushed the flight back.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Lauren asked, peeling herself off of her close friend.

“We thought it would be a pleasant surprise.”

“We?” Lauren questioned, leaning over his shoulders to see who had joined him, “Who’s we?”

“Right here, hon.” The familiar voice chimed in from beside her.

“Ally!” Lauren jeered, “Candece! I’m so glad you could make it.”

They both arched their eyebrows knowingly with mischievous grins.

“Why do you look like that?” Lauren asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“We have to talk, mama.” Candece replied, tilting her head towards an empty, secluded hall outside of the ballroom.

“O-oh.” Lauren stammered quietly, following the pair as Peyton went in the opposite direction, most likely obtaining drinks for the group.

“What’s up? Did I do something wrong?”

“You know damn well what’s up.” Candece said, glaring behind her to see if anyone was following.

“No, not really.”

“Listen, Laur,” Ally started, leading Lauren and Candece towards the empty woman’s bathroom, “We need you to do something.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Lauren snapped defensively, “Why are you acting like this?”

“We need you to be honest with us,” Ally said, slamming the restroom door behind her, “It’s all we ask.”

“Okay, okay.” Lauren, complied nervously as she began to tremble.

“What’s going on with you and Normani?” Candece asked, “I know it’s not my place to interfere into your personal life but you two were getting freaky in a bathroom so...”

“Oh god.” Lauren sighed, rubbing her temples exasperatedly, “When you say it, it sounds so-”

“Unsanitary?”

“No...embarrassing.”

“Well we just want to know what’s up for your sake.”

“For my sake? How does telling my business to your nosey ass benefit me?”

“First of all,” Candece started sternly, “Don’t use that tone with me, Jauregui. Second of all, we aren’t the nosey ones. You were the one pinned on a wall with your shit out in the open for us to see.”

Lauren scoffed, leaning against the tile of the bathroom.

“And...you didn’t even lock the door.” Ally said sincerely, crossing her arms worriedly, “You could’ve at least tried to be secretive.”

“Well...to answer your question,” Lauren rolled her eyes, “Normani and I are just...”

“If you say friends, I’m flying home right now.” Candece warned.

“No, no, we’re just...” Lauren sighed.

“Spit it out, why don’t you?”

“I-I actually don’t know what we are, okay?” Lauren spat out with a frustrated sigh, “Or what we’re doing.”

“You know what you two are doing.” Ally corrected.

“They're doing each other. Point blank period."

“Ok, could you stop, please?” Lauren pleaded as her breathing heightened, “I really try to talk to her to get a better understanding but she always changes the subject, brushes me off, or comes onto me."

“Hm,” Candece huffed, facing to Ally with a concerned expression, “Well, all Ally and I are gonna say is talk to her again.”

“Seriously.”

“Why do you sound like that?” Lauren questioned, “So...urgent and shit?”

“I’m just saying this from my perspective,” Candece started, putting her hands up in the air, “You’re in the public eye and if this gets out of hand, it can end bad. And that’s the last thing we need again.”

“And we don’t like seeing you get hurt,” Ally added sincerely, “because all of us know what happened the last time, and you didn’t even look at a microphone for months after.”

“But Normani’s different.” Lauren cried out, “She’s honest and caring.”

“And how are you so sure of that?”

Lauren stammered out a reply, furrowing her eyebrows in contemplation.

“Exactly.” Ally said, “Look, we’re not bashing the girl. She’s super sweet and ambitious, we’re just saying that you have got to be careful, alright, Lauren?”

“Yeah, alright.” Lauren sighed, “I understand.”

“Good.” Candece and Ally replied in unison. Lauren turned towards the exit, pushing herself out of the restroom will her A&R and music director following closely behind her.

“There you are.” Peyton greeted to the trio, “There was something going on outside but I stayed to wait for you guys.”

“Something’s going on?” Candece asked, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, Normani’s parents just told her there was a surprise waiting for her outside.”

“Do you know, Lauren?” Ally asked, turning to a perplexed Lauren, who shook her head.

“Nope. Not a clue.”

The elegantly decorated ballroom was almost empty: guests were crowded around the exit door jumping up and down to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside. Even the DJ stopped to peer through the double doors.

Peyton led the women through the crowd, setting down his champagne flute on their table to push his way through the hoards of people.

“This is a 22nd birthday party, not a fucking sweet 16.” Candece complained, hopping up in her heels.

“Be a good sport today, Candece.” Ally said, thrusting her way to the front line of the crowd.

Normani immediately caught the eyes of the foursome and waved, giving a lingering look to Lauren with a beaming smile. Lauren blushed as the other three shared looks of annoyance.

The crowd erupted in envious ‘oohs’ and ‘aaahs’ as a white Range Rover with a huge pink present bow taped on its hood rolled through the drop off roundabout. Normani squealed, jumping up and down excitedly in her high heels. She then squinted her eyes, glaring through her new car’s tinted windows to make out who it was from.

“Who did this?!” Normani asked gasping, turning to her parents, who both shrugged jokingly.

“Not us, that’s for sure.” Derrick answered, wrapping his arm around his daughter’s shoulder.   
As the Range Rover halted to a parked stop, the crowd lingered in silence, anticipating whoever was driving it. Snaps of the shutter were the only sounds for a few moments, as the aura of anticipation wafted throughout the attendees. The foursome tucked off to the side leaned closer to the roundabout, watching just as intensely as everyone was. Derrick and Andrea grinned with satisfaction, ready for the special guest to make his arrival. Normani strutted towards the door as it swung open in front of the huge crowd.

“Happy Birthday, ManiBear!” A deep voice cried out, quickly climbing out of the driver’s seat.

“Nik!” Normani exclaimed, throwing herself into her boyfriend’s arm. Out of excitement, Niko picked Normani up and twirled her around, kissing her cheek in front of the entire crowd.

“Oh fuck.” Ally swore to Candece, who already had her eyes locked on Lauren.

“Goddamn it.” Candece hissed to herself, watching Lauren grit her teeth, her face reddened in anger. She stormed forward towards the roundabout, catching eyes with Niko, but only to be pulled at her wrists by Peyton and Candece.

“Lauren!” Peyton called out, bringing Lauren closer to him, “Don’t...not in front of everyone.”

“No!” Lauren protested loudly.

“Lauren Michelle,” Candece scolded into her ear, holding her back by her waist, “Don’t you dare cause a fucking scene.”

Lauren tried and tried to shimmy from their grip, furiously shaking out of anger. Niko was the very last person that she wanted to see kissing Normani. Malice glinted in his dark brown eyes and villainy ran through his pearly white smile. He ruined Lauren’s career and Lauren _hated_ him for it. He was a liar and cheat and Lauren knew that Normani could do better. But what made Lauren even furious was how Normani was now a liar and a cheat as well. It had only been days ago when she told her that she would always be honest with Lauren, but here she was, kissing another man like Lauren meant absolutely nothing. It didn’t make any sense. Why would Normani hide this from her? Did she know about their past? Or did she just want to mess around with Lauren’s emotions just because she was bored and horny?

Lauren shook with anger, still trying to burst from Candece and Peyton’s grip, nearly growling with malice.

“I think we should give them their alone time,” Andrea called out, turning to the crowd “They haven’t seen each other in months.”

Quickly, the crowd dispersed as the DJ continued to play music that blared through the cracks in the doors and tinted windows. Lauren, Candece, Ally, and Peyton froze, still holding Lauren back as the fresh-face couple turned to face each other.

“I’ve missed you so much, baby.” Niko sighed, closing his eyes as he hugged Normani, “So, so, so much.”

Lauren shifted her eyes between the couple and the decreasing crowd, waiting until they all left to strike. Candece kept her eyes on Peyton, who was holding Lauren flush against him.

“Care to explain this, Normani?!” Lauren yelled, causing the couple to snap from their loving embrace.

“Lovely seeing you here, Lauren.” Niko greeted charmingly, stepping away from his girlfriend as they held hands.

“Wait,” Normani started worriedly, shifting her eyes in between them “You t-two know each othe-”

“We’re exes, actually.” Lauren interrupted, flinging from Peyton’s grip and storming towards Normani and Niko, fuming with anger.

“Lauren!” Peyton called out, reaching for Lauren’s wrist and hoping that she didn’t swing at the muscular man.

“You know what you told me the other day, Mani?” Lauren questioned,  “You told me that you would always be honest with me...did you not?”

Normani stood silent, letting go of Niko’s hand.

“Did you not?!” Lauren asked, louder than before.

“I did.” Normani replied meekly.

“Mani, what is she talking about?” Niko turned to Normani, whose eyes were latched onto Lauren’s.

“So you lied to my fucking face, and you’re okay with that?” Lauren wondered, “Is that what you do? You lie to people who take you in?”

“Lauren,” Normani started, reaching for her hands, “I swear to you that this isn’t what it looks like.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Lauren sighed, turning away from the pair to cover her mouth with her hand, “This pig is your _boyfriend_. And you didn’t even think about telling me before we did what we did?”

“Look, Lauren. Please, just calm down so I can expl-”

“First you brush me off and then you have the nerve to keep this huge lie and act like I wouldn’t care?” Lauren snapped, stomping closer towards them, “And you expect me to be calm about it?! Fuck you!” Lauren quickly pushed Normani’s shoulders.

“Don’t shove me, bitch.” Normani retorted, rearing to strike back.

“Ladies, ladies!” Niko interrupted, getting in the middle of the two women.

“Don’t touch me, you pig.” Lauren said, swatting Niko’s hand away from her.

“God, Lauren.” Niko scoffed, “You’re always mad about something, just chill out and let her speak.”

“Let her speak?!” Lauren asked, “Do you even know what’s going on, right now?”

“I know a lot more than you think.”

“Oh sure you do!” Lauren said sarcastically, “Look at Mr. Know-It-All trying to save the day.” she scoffed, “You don’t know shit, Niko. The only thing you know is how to cheat and lie.” Lauren turned to Normani, “Actually, I guess that’s why you two are together! A couple who cheat and lie together, stay together, right?”

“Lauren...” Normani said quietly, trailing off as Lauren swatted Niko’s hand away from her once again.

“You have no right to criticize my relationship,” Niko replied calmly, “You’re probably just jealous because you haven’t done a single thing since we broke up.”

“You know that isn’t t-”  
“Yeah, yeah it is the truth! You’re just jealous because I date someone relevant and you’re so desperate to get back into the limelight again.”

“There you go lying again.”

“Don’t try to turn that on me. Everyone out here knows that you haven’t done shit.”

“I’ve done your girlfriend though,” Lauren retorted, cocking her head to the side, watching Niko’s calm expression exchange with an uncomfortable one, “Many times, actually. In the car, the shower, in my bed, hell, even on the way here we got a-”

“You bitch!” Niko cried out, interrupting her words as he aggressively slapped his hand across her cheek, causing her to fling onto the cold concrete, clutching the side of her face, whimpering.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Normani cried out,  shoving Niko’s shoulder.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Peyton roared, storming to Niko with his fist held in the air. Peyton pounded at his chest, grunting angrily. Lauren still on the ground, sobbed quietly as she watched Normani stare at Niko and Peyton fearfully.

“So pretty boy thinks he can fight?” Niko asked, stumbling backwards stroking where Peyton hit him. Peyton surged forwards again, swinging at Niko’s face. But, he shifted out of the way, retaliating with a hard punch straight against Peyton’s nose.

“Shit!” Peyton swore, as blood spurted from his nostrils.

“Niko!” Normani pleaded, reaching for her boyfriend’s shoulder, “Stop hurting him!”

“Nah, if he wants to fight, I’ll give him a fight.” Niko replied, brutally pounding Peyton in the side of the head.

“Nik, stop!” Peyton swung at Niko’s face, but it wasn’t hard enough. Niko jogged backwards, grinning maliciously. Peyton edged up to the other man, snarling angrily. He reared his leg back and reached it out in front of him, kicking Niko hard in the shin. Niko stumbled, grunting into a punch on Peyton’s chest. But, Peyton swiveled out of the way, hopping in and out of Niko’s attack zone. The Latino wiped the blood dripping down his chin before resurging into Niko’s pathway, colliding with his chest and hitting his stomach.

“You best keep your dirty hands off of her.”

Peyton said. Niko then connected a blow at Peyton’s stomach, dangerously harder than any previous jab. They both grunted as the women watched on, baffled, but mostly frightened. Out of exasperation, Peyton marched backwards, sighing and coughing on his own blood.

Niko took advantage of Peyton’s weak moment by pounding up on his chin in a lethal uppercut. Peyton flew backwards, slamming his head onto the concrete, losing consciousness.

Candece and Ally cried out fearfully, sprinting towards the fallen man. Niko breathed heavily, stomping over to Lauren’s side.

“Don’t touch her!” Ally yelled, leaving Peyton’s side in a weak attempt to intimidate Niko.  Niko ignored her as he came to stand next to where his ex-girlfriend still laid on the ground, her emerald eyes filled with hot tears.

“Look,” Niko started gruffly, “You stay away from her.” Lauren licked her lips, trying desperately to hold back her tears, “And if you don’t, I’m posting the tape.”

“What are you talking about?” Lauren replied in a sharp whisper.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Niko assumed, “I know you remember. It was your idea anyways.”

Lauren’s eyebrows shot up in realization, “You wouldn’t.”  
“Oh, I would,” Niko hissed, “The whole world is gonna see you sucking and fucking me like your life depended on it if you don’t cooperate, so you’d better stay away from my woman.”

“I fucking hate you.”

“What’s new?” Niko replied smugly with a wink, turning to take Normani’s hand, leading her back into her party.

As Normani was pulled along she turned around slowly, meeting Lauren’s vengeful stare.

“ _You_ ,” Lauren growled out, “I can’t believe you would just stand there and let him hurt me.” "Lauren," Normani started, sniffling lightly, "Please, let me-"

“You move the fuck out of my loft.”

“But, Laure-”

“I don’t ever wanna see your face again, and I mean that."

**_A/N: Autumn and I were thinking that the Miguel song in the beginning could be Pussy Is Mine or Coffee...whatever fits your vibe. The song from the party was obvi In Da Club and I forget any other song I might've added in it_ **

**_leave comments and talk to us about it! One of my fave things about updating is seeing what the audience is saying about and what they think is gonna happen so PLEASE flood the wattpad, archive, and our twitter mentions and timelines with your thoughts, it's so much fun lol_ **

**_@kordaybaybay @badgalmanik_ **

**_until next update, y'all_ **


	10. Chapter 10

_**"You can want one thing and have a secret wish for its opposite." -Deb Caletti** _

_"I'm so proud of you, baby girl." Niko sighed, slowly stroking his girlfriend's hair, "All of that work finally paid off and you deserve every bit of it."_

_"Aww, baby." Lauren gushed, blushing as she cuddled next to her boyfriend on their love seat, nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck, "Thank you."_

_"And after all of those damn interviews and after parties, we finally have time to ourselves." Niko fiddled with the loose bow tie around his neck, sighing in relief, "We can just chill out for the rest of the night."_

_"And then you leave for another six months." Lauren said disappointedly._

_"Yeah, but so do you."_

_"Exactly. It's gonna be half of a year without seeing each other...or sitting around like this, does that ever irk you at all?"_

_"Of course it does." Niko agreed, "It annoys the shit out of me." He paused to glance outside of their window that overlooked the entire borough that illuminated with blinding lights, "But the best we could do is-"_

_"Make the most of it." Lauren muttered, looking up at her boyfriend. They'd spent all day going from interview to interview, answering the same generic questions and from party to party, rubbing shoulders with the same type of people. It was exhausting to say the least. The pair came back home in a tired heap, trying to relax before the both of them left early the next morning to start their separate jobs._

_"Right. So, for now, we can just have this night together for once."_

_"Mhm." Lauren answered with a nod, "But..." She paused to turn off the television._

_"But what?" Niko asked, tossing his bow tie on the coffee table in front of them._

_"I had another idea in mind." Lauren said seductively, rolling her hips onto Niko's side._

_"I'm all ears."_

_"What if we..." She trailed off, slowly moving her hand up Niko's thigh, "...you know."_

_"Oh, I know all right." Niko replied with a wink._

_"But since we're leaving in," she peered at the clock on her phone, "five hours tops...maybe we should do something to you know..."_

_"I don't actually." Niko rasped, as Lauren slowly sat herself upon his lap._

_"What if we did something to remember all of this while I'm on tour?" Lauren's fingers traveled higher and higher up on Niko's thigh as she bit her lip wantonly._

_Niko's eyebrows shot upwards with his lips spreading into a mischievous smile, "Are you...talking about a..."_

_Lauren nodded her head, waving his phone up in the air, "Yes." She replied confidently._

_"Okay Lauren," Niko chuckled nervously, "You've gotta lay off the-"_

_"I wasn't even drinking tonight," Lauren interrupted, sitting up pertly on her boyfriend's lap "or smoking."_

_Niko arched his eyebrows, moving his hands up and down Lauren's sides._

_"Cmon, Nik! It could be fun." She patted on his chest, smiling widely._

_"Only if you're sure about it, baby." Niko said, reaching for his phone. Lauren licked her lips, latching her eyes onto Niko's, slowly grinding against his thigh._

_"Hell yeah, I am." Lauren responded spontaneously, wrapping her arms around Niko's neck and crashing their lips together in a heated kiss._

__

\---

"Well that was..." Ally started, sighing as she sat up in Lauren's in-home studio sofa, "Not how I expected it to be."

"I know, huh?" Lauren husked, bringing a blunt up to her lips, "Since Niko is such a fucking piece of shit, you'd think he pressured me or got me drunk, but no." She leaned back on her couch, glaring through the glass plate in her studio disappointedly, "It was all me...I was the one who wanted to have my ass out on camera."

"Damn." Ally hissed, "But w-"

"Mani's little friend dropped by to pick up her stuff too, she's prolly fucking that son of a bitch in some random city as we speak." Lauren interrupted swiftly. "Can you believe her, though?! Who does shit like that?"

"Lauren..."

"I should've keyed the fuck out of that Range, Ally." Lauren said as smoke poured from her lips.

"Bu-"

"Did you know?" Lauren asked sharply, "Did you and Candece know that he would be there?"

"No." Ally responded, "Not at all, we just overheard her mom saying something about a boyfriend so we took it upon ourselves to let you know but in a way th-"

"Was indirect as hell?! You could've just told me upfront."

"No we couldn't, Lauren. You're way too emotional."

Lauren sunk back in her couch, sighing.

"I should've known, to be honest. I always thought Normani was a diabolical little bit-"

"Lauren!" Ally cried out, "Please...just chill out."

"I'm trying!" Lauren exclaimed, holding up her blunt.

"Look, can I give my two cents on this?" Ally asked, leaning in closer.

"Whatever." Lauren reached towards the ground and pulled up a bottle of water, sipping on it in between hits.

"It doesn't make sense to me, I-"

"What doesn't?!"

"Lauren, let me finish." Ally added sternly, "You're lucky I didn't bring Candece with me, she would've been on your ass in a millisecond."

Lauren sighed, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that...something doesn't sound right to me. Normani and Niko are giving me weird vibes."

"How so?"

"I mean..if she was so in love with him, why hadn't she mentioned him? And if she was so head over heels...why would she be having sex with you?"

"I've been asking myself the same questions."

"You didn't have to kick her out though." Ally mentioned, crossing her arms knowingly, "You knew damn well she had no place to go."

"You're right but she's gone now so there's nothing I can do," Lauren took another hit, coughing slightly, "Besides, her little boyfriend can take care of her lying ass."

"I don't think you're looking at this in context, Lauren."

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, taking a sip of water.

"Why did Candece make Normani move here in the first place?"

"Because she's out to get me."

"Shut up," Ally spat, "Be serious."

"Well then," Lauren sat up on the couch, "She thought it would be good for our relationship."

"And why did you two need a good relationship?"

"So we could make a good song."

"Exactly," Ally pointed at Lauren as she pulled her lips off of her blunt again, "that's what you aren't thinking about."

"But the song's done."

"Yes, of course but Lauren, you two can't be done." Ally said watched Lauren's face grow red. "Both of you need that song...and it's doing really well for a new single that hasn't even dropped yet. There's already so much buzz."

"God, you sound just like Candece." Lauren groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"We don't want your career to disappear again so you better fucking listen to us this time around." Lauren perked up in her seat as her eyebrows arched, "Gosh, Lauren it feels like Candece and I are the only ones that give a shit about protecting your art and livelihood. Do you even care anymore?"

Lauren sat quietly, avoiding Ally's eyes.

"You two need to promote the song together. You two will have to perform the song together. Shit, you have to film the music video for it down in Atlanta in two weeks time!" Ally paused to shake her head, "So don't think you're big and bad by cutting her off like that. You two need each other and we can't have you messing it up when you're so close to having a hit."

Lauren licked her lips as her eyes filled with tears.

"It's best that you disregard everything that happened and hear her out." Ally said, "You two will see each other again so it's best to work things out now."

"I do care, Ally." Lauren sniffled meekly.

"Are you crying?" Ally asked reaching for Lauren, whose reddened face snapped up.

"I do care, I really do." Lauren said as Ally leaned closer to her, wiping away her tears.

“We know you try Lauren,” Ally said sympathetically, loosening up her tense demeanor, “But you just need to be more careful, okay?”

“Mhm.”  
“I don’t like seeing you like this at all, and I mean that.” She paused to wipe at another tear.

“B-but Ally, s-she really just stood there and w-watched-”

“The best thing you can do is to be more careful with her.” Ally interrupted, “I don't think she has malicious intentions but just be more aware.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“That girl is one of the smartest artists I know, but she has some skeletons in her closet and you just can’t let your relationship negatively affect your business partnership...you just can’t.” Ally stroked Lauren’s hair as she sobbed quietly,  “But what you can do is let all of this frustration out in your music.”

“You’re right.” Lauren answered in a sigh.

“You’re blessed with so much talent, and it hurts my heart more than anything to see you waste it over people you let get the best of you.”

Lauren looked up into Ally’s now glossy eyes. “Please, Lauren.” She sniffled, holding back tears, “Just promise me that you won’t waste it anymore.”

“I won’t.” Lauren replied wearily as her voice quivered, “I promise.”

Ally spread her lips into a smile, pulling Lauren in for a long, tight hug.

“God, where would I be without you, Ally?" Lauren murmured into the small woman’s hair.

"Probably fired," Ally answered with a chuckle, laughing off her tears. "Or dead, knowing you."

\---

“Damn, this city is so beautiful. I’ve missed Atlanta so much.” Normani gushed, walking towards Niko’s wall of floor length glass windows. “I gotta get a house so I can live here someday.”

“You're already living here, baby girl.” Niko corrected, grazing his hands along Normani’s arms as she gazed at the skyline. “It’s just gonna be me and you down here for a few weeks.”

Normani slowly placed her hand upon the glass, “I’ll be here, all alone with Mr. Big Time himself.”

“Ah stop it.” Niko answered with a fake chuckle.

“We finished up three new songs in one day, that’s unheard of.” Normani turned to Niko, smiling widely, “And on top of that, you paid for all of my studio sessions.”

“It was the least I could do.”

“You’re such a rewarding business boyfriend.” Normani wrapped her arms around his neck, “But, you’re still a piece of shit.”

“I'll grant you that.” Niko answered, nodding his head, “However, I did my part for the day, Mani.”

“And I still need to do mine.” Normani replied seductively, unwrapping her hands from Niko’s neck and pushing him backwards by his chest in the direction of his living room couch.

“That’s my girl.” Niko plopped in the loveseat, unbuttoning his shirt.

“Eager much?” Normani asked, scrunching up the skirt of her dress past her waist as she slowly sat down on his lap. She stared at him, drawing her finger down his bare chest. He licked his full lips and pulled them through his teeth, desperate to touch the woman sitting confidently upon him.

“Very.” Niko husked, pulling Normani flush against his body. She leaned closer and tilted his chin up so she could meet his puckered lips. His hands immediately went to her ass, massaging the bare flesh he found as he groaned into her lips.

“God, I’ve missed this.” Niko sighed in between kisses, running his large hands over her thick, smooth thighs. Normani stayed quiet and kept her eyes shut, feeling Niko’s tongue slide across her bottom lip. She twiddled her fingers in Niko’s coarse hair, as she opened her mouth and allowed him entrance. Niko then brought his hand down to Normani’s ass in a loud spank, knowing that it would drive her crazy. She whimpered against his lips in response as she slowly began to grind her center against one of his thick, jean-covered thighs.

“You like that, don’t you?” Niko husked, moving his lips down to Normani’s jaw.

“Uh-huh.” Normani squeaked, leaning her head back and moaning at Niko’s lips nipping down her throat. Niko’s hand spanked against her backside again, harder than before.

“Ah,” Normani hissed, “ _Shit, Lauren._ ”

“What the fuck did you just say?!” Niko yelled loudly, pushing Normani off of his lap.

“No, no, no, baby, t-”

“I know damn well you aren’t thinking about that bitch in my house!”

Normani stood up in front of him pulling her dress down and stammering a response.

“No, I-” Normani trailed off and rested her palms on her forehead, looking up at the ceiling.

“You what?” Niko asked, standing up and buttoning his dress shirt.

“I...shit,” she swore, rolling her tongue on the inside of her cheek, “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Oh so your little girlfriend turned you out? You can’t hang anymore, huh?” Niko questioned, “With your weak ass.”

“Weak?” Normani asked, putting her hands by her side.

“Yes, weak.” Niko walked closer to Normani, forcing her to walk backwards towards the wall, “If you’re gonna cheat like me, at least be slick with it.”

“Nik-” Normani gasped as her back hit the wall. Niko nearly closed the gap in between them, breathing angrily.

“She had the nerve to kick you out and you’re on my lap moaning her name? Fucking bullshit.”

“I don’t know what’s weaker,” Normani started, cocking her head to the side. “What you just said or the fact that it took one woman to outdo you.” Niko’s jaw slacked, “Drilling that Domino’s bitch every time I’m out of town has messed up your game, kid.”

“Stop lying.” Niko snarled.

“You should probably go and find her!” Normani urged. “She’d much rather be on your lap anyways. Besides...” she paused to raise up her hands, “I haven't been able to fuck you without thinking of someone, _anyone_ else, for months now. So yeah, Lauren turned me out that fast.”

“So you’re quitting the deal?” Niko asked gruffly, aggressively pinning Normani’s wrists against the wall, “You think you can just get up, leave, and be well on your way?”

“Yes, actually.” Normani spat, writhing underneath Niko’s tight grip.

“Where are you gonna go then? You really think Lauren is gonna take you back knowing that you fuck her ex?” Normani stood quiet as Niko tightened his grip. “And you know your parents have their heads up my ass way too far to think that I’ve done anything wrong to their baby girl.”

“Fuck you, Nik.”

“No, I’m serious, Mani...where are you gonna go? And what are you gonna do? Your whole album came out of my pocket anyways, the only thing you did was sing over it.”

“Let go of me.” Normani warned sternly, “I’m not afraid to hurt you, Niko.”

“And I’m not afraid to defend myself.” Niko retorted, “What happened to Lauren was just a warning.”

Normani stood quiet as tears welled up in her eyes.

“You,” Niko leaned in closer, “aren’t going anywhere and you know that.”

“B-”  
“You can try,” Niko interrupted, slowly letting go of Normani’s wrists “Hell I’ll even let you try...but you won’t succeed. Imma give you two weeks tops before you come back, begging for head, studio time, and a check.”

Normani pushed Niko off of her, rubbing on her wrists as tears slid down her cheeks.

“Hey, where are you going?” Niko asked with a laugh.  
“Away from you.” Normani replied, storming through Niko’s hallway. She yanked her clutch on the way out, glaring back at Niko, who stood in his penthouse living room with his hand up in the air, waving excitedly.

“Two weeks tops, baby girl! Two weeks tops!" Niko repeated before Normani slammed the door. Normani rubbed on her wrists again as she slid down Niko's door. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks, as she realized that Niko was right: she had nowhere to go and the future of her career rested in his hands and it was all her own fault. She rubbed her temples, sobbing quietly in the silent hallway. Their deal had made sense back then but now, it was different. She wasn't in control anymore. Niko had become so dark. Beyond the relatively harmless cheating, she was realizing that she'd become his prisoner and a willful one for the past year.

Normani's sniffles echoed throughout the hallway. Slowly, she pulled out her phone, looking around helplessly. Normani scrolled through her contacts, finding someone who could help her without judgement. As she brought her phone up to her ear, she got up from the floor and looked down the silent hallway once again, praying that nobody would come down the hallway and discover her.

"Hey...Matt?" Normani asked coyly, "You're in Atlanta, right?"

"Of course!" He replied joyously, "Why? Are you already in town for the music video shoot?"

"Yeah....are you busy?"

"I just got out of my last meeting so I'm off the hook for the night."

"Perfect. Meet me at our regular spot, it's important."

\---

"Long time, no see, darling!" The young manager sat down in front of Normani who nervously sipped on a glass of water, "How was your 22nd?"

"It was good." Normani replied with shadow of a smile. "My parents threw me a surprise party and everything."

"I saw," Matt said, reaching for Normani's hand, "I'm so upset that I couldn't make it, you don't even understand."

"You're busy, I get that."

"But, what manager doesn't come to their favorite client's birthday party? I feel terrible about it, Normani!"

"No, it's fine, Matt. I promise."

As silence hung over their table, Matt peered through the menu, shifting his eyes between the printed words and his melancholy client, wondering to himself why she wasn't her usual cheerful and present self.

"How's the album going, sweetheart?"

"It's going."

"I see that the collaboration is a hot topic nowadays. Seems like everyone is excited for it to officially release next week."

"Mhm."

"I saw the performance tape from New Orleans, it was damn near perfect, too. Obviously I haven't had the chance to meet her yet, but you and Lauren have some great chemistry."

"Not anymore." Normani sighed under her breath.

"What did you say?" Matt asked, leaning closer. Normani sat quiet, fiddling with her straw.

"What's wrong with you? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just," Normani sighed, avoiding Matt's eyes, "I'm only...I'm only.."

"What?"

"I usually don't like doing this but I'm only going to tell you because I trust you and I know that you can take care of me."

"Of course." Matt grazed his thumb against Normani's hand, "Now, what's up?"

"So you know...Niko and I have been dating for almost a year now."

"Yes, yes!" Matt gawked, "That sexy hunk of a producer."

"Yeah...him." Normani scoffed. "Well, the t-truth is," Matt's eyebrows rose in intrigue.

"Spill it!"

"We aren't really dating."

"What do you mean?" Matt hissed sharply, "What happened?!"

"His whole charming persona is an act." Normani nodded as Matt gasped, "He's a cheat."

"And you've known this for...."

"Six months." Normani replied, watching Matt's eyebrows shoot up.

"Then why did you stay?!"

"It's going to sound dumb but..." She paused, tucking strands of her hair behind her ear, "I stayed because we both needed each other, him because I could make him look like the man who has it all, and me because he can progress anyone's career. And since I'm finally so close to making it big, I thought that if I stayed, he could only help that process."

"Wait...wait, what do you mean?"

Normani looked down, holding back tears,  "He played his part by helping out with the features and the production and I played mine b-"

"Sucking him off after?!" Matt cried out, much louder than he intended. Normani shushed him as she snapped her head around the fancy restaurant, "Normani, all of that is the label's job and you know that!" Matt scolded, "We're not struggling either we could've gotten all of that taken care of without you opening your legs....or mouth."

"Matt..." Normani said as her voice quivering.

"And why didn't you stop that?"

"Because there weren't any issues. I mean, the sex was good, I got to be the glamorous girlfriend who tied down Niko V, and he was doing a good job on the album. Plus he was treating me right a-"

"No, he never treated you right then, he's a cheat for Christ's sake! He only fucked you and made beats for you...and that's not good treatment in my book, especially if you two are quote unquote _dating_." Matt paused, "And what's the issue now?"

Normani sighed before she answered, "While I was in New York...I started to realize  t-that all of that isn't as good for me as I th-"

"Well no shit!" Normani pursed her lips together and shut her eyes, still holding back tears,

"Sorry, Mani." Matt said sincerely, "Continue."

"And that's when Niko and I started losing our mutual respect and he started to become...a lot more...possessive."

Matt rested his head in his palms as he muttered, "Don't tell me he put his hands on you."

"Well I mean...he...I-I d-"

"He did, didn't he?!" Matt exclaimed, "That's why you called me down here, huh? Because you finally realized that you were being stupid and that you need to break away from him, right?"

Normani nodded her head slowly, "Please, Matt, I know you hate me right now...b-"

"I don't hate you, I'm extremely disappointed in you, that's all."

"Just...please help me." Normani pleaded, "It's all ask. I just need to find something to sweeten my bank account. I'm not broke, I still have money from when I was dancing professionally, but I've been living the way I've wanted for a while without much of it coming from my own bank accounts. He gave me just about everything I could ever want monetarily and I didn't think it would turn out like this. I need to be sure of my financial independence and I need to maintain my lifestyle without alerting the media that I'm anything less than prospering. Please forgive me for being so dumb Matt, please help me find something."

"What do you think I'm gonna do, condemn you?" Matt asked, "Unlike that bastard, I'm not going anywhere because of some mistakes." He leaned back in his chair as he added, "And you're not dumb. Don't sell yourself short." Normani grinned as she asked,

"Do you have any offers you think I can take up?"

"Duh!" Matt said. "You're a beautiful woman, I can easily snag up some side modeling gigs and endorsements in a heartbeat."

Normani smiled, jumping up in her seat excitedly, "That sounds nice!" She gushed.

"That's what you wanna do?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Good," Matt leaned in closer to his client with a wide smile, "You are the sweetest, funniest, and most talented boss bitch I know Normani, and I don't want to see jerkoffs like him backing you into a corner, trying to corrupt your shine."

"Gosh Matt," Normani sighed smiling as she wiped tears from her cheek, "Where would I be without you?"

"Probably trapped, right back in that penthouse with that fucker for the sake of your career."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In honor of Lauren's birthday tomorrow I updated super fast! This is kind of a chill out chapter bc chapter 9 was so intense. But, knowing me, this little break won't last too long because shit's gonna hit the fan again in the next chapter! hope you enjoyed reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**_"I invite everyone to choose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition." -Jean-Francois Cope_ **

_"Part time love is the life round here,"_ Lauren typed into her notes app, bobbing her head to her instrumental blaring through her headphones, rocking from side to side in an SUV as it weaved in and out of the hectic Atlanta morning traffic.   
"Lauren." Candece started from beside her, sounding far away.  
The green eyed woman ignored the voice as she pursed her lips and squinted her eyes to think of the next line.   
"Lauren...take your headphones out." Candece repeated, urgently tapping on her client's shoulder.  
"Huh?" Lauren asked, ripping out one of her earbuds, "What's up?"  
"Look I have to tell you something," Lauren sighed as she sat up in her seat, "I'm super glad you're writing again but just take a break for a second, this is important."  
"Alright, shoot." Lauren replied, locking her phone and lurching forwards as the SUV halted to a stop.   
"We're already here so I wanted to go over a few rules with you."  
"Rules? Is this freaki-"  
"Yes, rules. Now, listen up." Candece leaned closer to Lauren, "You better do whatever that director tells you to, okay? I don't want to see another tantrum."  
Lauren nodded slowly.  
"I don't want to see you and Normani argue, I don't want to see pettiness, and I damn sure don't want to see attitude." Candece pointed her finger towards Lauren's chest as she continued, "If Normani has something smart to say, ignore it. In order for this shoot to go well, you're gonna have to fake it."  
"Yeah, you're right." Lauren uttered.  
"I hope you're a good actress." Candece wished with a wink, "Now, let's go."   
The driver opened the door on Lauren's side, bright light flooding the tinted vehicle as Candece and the young woman shared a few final expressions of reassurance.  
"I believe in you, honey." Candece said. Lauren nodded again as the pair got out of the SUV, gazing up at a huge sprawling white mansion at the end of a long winding driveway which was filled with trailers and tents. Stylists and assistants bustled back and forth between stations, getting all of their materials ready for a long day of shooting inside. The SUV had dropped them off in front of a long line of cars, which included Normani's new custom Range Rover. Once it caught Lauren's eye, she felt her anger and anxiety beginning to rise, but she quickly remembered Candece's rules from earlier and pushed her feelings down as her A&R led her to the makeup tent.  
"Just act like nothing happened." Candece whispered before sliding through the entrance.  
"Mani!" Candece exclaimed, shooting her hands up into the air.   
"Hi you two!" Normani greeted excitedly from her chair, "How are you?"  
"Good, good." Lauren replied quietly as Candece guided her to her makeup chair, which was conveniently placed in front of Normani. Her eyes were shut as a makeup artist brushed eyeshadow across her eyelids, blocking the darker woman from Lauren's view.   
"How was your flight?" Candece asked as she rushed to the snack table on the other side of the tent.  
"Actually, I drove here after the New Orleans show," Normani answered, "My manager, Matt is letting me stay in his house over in Buckhead."  
"Oh so you're living the fancy life, huh?"  
Normani chuckled trying to hold her face still as the makeup artist moved out of Lauren's view, still brushing upon her face. Lauren crossed her arms as she watched Normani intently. She pursed her lips together as her mind filled with flashes of the memories they shared, then immediately scolded herself as soon as she felt her thoughts going in the wrong direction. She found herself constantly reminding her subconscious that Normani was the bad guy. She was the one that lied and she was the one that had taken her trust and hospitality for granted. In order to keep her thoughts under control, she unlocked her phone and began typing lyrics to the song she started earlier, hoping that Normani would see she was busy and wouldn't try to start a conversation. Lauren knew deep down that it would be in her best interest to be more agreeable and chatty, but she wanted to get back at Normani in a way that wouldn't get her in trouble or even worse, fired. It didn't seem fair how her thoughts were consumed with Normani while the other woman seemingly remained unaffected. She desperately wanted to get under Normani's skin like Normani had gotten under her's. Lauren just wasn't sure of her exact plan of attack yet.

"What about you, Lauren?" Normani asked, "How was your flight?"  
Lauren swore in her head as she met eyes with Normani, who greeted her with a beaming smile.  
"It was good." Lauren replied plainly before snapping her head back to her phone.   
"Oooh...okay." Normani replied, tossing her long, softly curled hair over the shoulder of the silky, white bathrobe she wore. As another makeup stylist came into Lauren's view, spreading moisturizer into his palm, Normani asked, "Where are y'all staying?"  
"Oh," Lauren started quietly, closing her eyes as the makeup artist spread the moisturizer over her face, "This really nice place over in Midtown."  
"Oooh... Nice." The bustling staff continued their organized chaos as the pair sat in silence, silently praying for Candece to spark up another conversation.  
"Good morning!" A voice jeered, breaking into the buzz of the tent.  
"Is that my Fernando?" Normani asked excitedly, turning to a tall man with a bright smile.  
"Por supuesto, mija." He answered in his thick accent, blowing her a kiss, "I don't want to mess up your makeup or anything."   
Normani chuckled as the tall man casted his eyes around the tent, until they fell upon Lauren.  
"Oh, forgive me, you must be Lauren.....J..J-"  
"Jauregui-Morgado." Lauren answered with her Cuban accent.  
"Morgado..." Fernando said, stroking his mustache quizzically, "Are you..."  
"Soy cubana."   
"Ay, perfect!" Fernando brought his hand out to Lauren, "For once I have a friend who can perfectly understand me, if only for the day!"  
Lauren chuckled as she shook the man's hand.  
"I'm Fernando Ruíz, I'll be your director for the shoot. Mani has said some great things about you."  
"Really?" Lauren asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.  
"Yes, yes. I'm so excited to be working with you two today. The video is going to be so....so sexy, the people are going to love it."  
Fernando grinned as he stepped away from Lauren, shifting his eyes between the pair.  
"Speaking of sexy, I came to visit you two to ask if you were comfortable with everything today." He turned to Lauren, "I know you aren't dressed yet, but just for final clarification, are you okay with the concept?"  
"Yeah, one hundred percent." Lauren lied, knowing that she didn't check her email to look over the concept.  
"Good because even if you aren't, it would be too late to change!" They both chuckled as he turned to Normani, watching her intently as the makeup artist spritzed setting spray across her face.  
"Normani, once you get done, we'll get started on your solo shots right away, okay?"  
"I'm done now, Fernando." Normani answered, sliding out of her seat and untying her bathrobe.  
"Perfect, now let me see."  
The makeup artist tugged on the sleeves of Normani's bathrobe, letting it fall to the floor. Lauren's jaw slacked as she leaned forward in shock, baffled yet turned on by Normani's costume.   
"Oooooo," Candece gushed, "Look at you, Miss Sexy!"  
Normani giggled shyly as she watched Fernando nod with satisfaction. Her breasts were pushed up and together in a lacy light pink bra, drawing attention to her chest. She wore a matching garter belt around her toned waist despite the belt's suspenders not actually holding up a pair of stockings. Then Normani turned around, showing off the lingerie set to the director, smirking knowingly.   
Lauren allowed her eyes to dip lower holding in a groan as she saw Normani was wearing a thong, her toned ass and thighs gleaming beautifully, even under the harsh light of the tent.  
"I'll be back to get you when you're done, Lauren." Fernando said as he led Normani out of the tent. Lauren latched her eyes on Normani's ass as she swayed away. When Lauren glanced back up, she caught Normani looking back at her with a playful smirk.   
"Goddamn, I hate that bitch." Lauren mumbled under her breath.  
"Fix your face!" Candece scolded, stepping into Lauren's view.  
"H-huh, what?!" Lauren asked, shooting up in her seat.  
"You can be such a teenage boy sometimes, Lauren" Candece said. "You just can't resist, can you?  
"Oh, shut up."   
" _Please_ , behave, Jauregui!"  
"No promises." Lauren said with a chuckle, shutting her eyes as the makeup artist began to brush on her face.

\---  
"Princesa, haz la misma cosa que hiciste antes pero con mas pasión en tus ojos." Fernando shouted out, watching Lauren sprawl herself out over the ornate piece of furniture, gripping a lit Cuban cigar as she leaned backwards.   
"Ok," Lauren replied, "Pero la ultima vez me dijiste que sea más agresiva."  
"Sí, quiero una mezcla, mija." Fernando leaned towards a monitor, tapping his mustache. "Tienes preguntas?"  
"Quieres que fume o no?"  
"Sí, haz eso."  
Lauren nodded as Fernando counted off the take.

On the side of the grand sitting room where filming was being held, Normani sat primly with her legs crossed tightly as she watched Lauren's exchange with Fernando intently. Normani had been aware for months now that Lauren could speak another language but for some odd reason she never heard Lauren speak a word of it until that very moment. Hearing it only seemed to make her attraction to Lauren grow. Unfortunately for Normani, it also spurred her to feel her dissatisfaction with her personal life. She had not yet been able to rid herself of Niko's grip, only having been able to escape living with him for the time being. She wasn't even sure how she would get rid of him at this point, especially without Lauren on her side. She was sitting on a possible way out, but she couldn't move ahead with it without involving Lauren. All she knew for sure was that she missed Lauren's ability to take her mind off of the mess she herself had created. Lauren's new take was counted in and Normani took a deep breath in an attempt to prepare herself for her self-inflicted torture. She watched with rapt fascination as Lauren, draped over a ornate chaise, put a cigar in between her pouty lips that were painted blood red, turned over onto her stomach, showing off her smooth, pale asscheeks hanging out of a pair of see-through black cheeky panties. Sitting back up on her heels, she moved her free hand up her body while taking the cigar out of her mouth with the other, running her hand over her breasts that were desperately trying to escape the black corset they were confined in, flipping her silky dark black hair back from out of her face as she began singing her lines to her verse as the track blasted throughout the room.

"Annnnnd, cut." Fernando called out as the track stopped and an assistant ran over to Lauren to take the cigar out of her hand. "Thank you, mama." Lauren husked as she sat up on the chaise confidently, waiting for her next directions to be called out.   
"Perfecta." Fernando said pointing over to Normani, "Lauren, estàs bien con ustedes dos tocandose?"   
"Sí, estoy segura de que vamos a estar bien." Lauren replied, crossing her legs, looking over knowingly at Normani. Her facial expression wasn't as playful as the one Lauren witnessed earlier. In fact, Normani seemed to be pondering something, whilst merely happening to have rested her eyes on Lauren.  
"What?" Normani started sharply, leaning out of her seat, "Do you need me?"  
"Yes, yes, please." Fernando said, pointing to the chaise. Lauren smirked as assistants rushed towards Normani to help her shrug off her bathrobe. The green eyed woman pointed her chin up arrogantly, confident because she could tell that she was affecting Normani and commanding her attention. She'd felt Normani's eyes burning into her while she was filming her verse, so she amped up her performance, touching herself and shaking her ass more than she would usually. It was fun being the object of someone's obvious desires and it made Lauren feel like she was in charge. It was her opportunity to make Normani pay with small discomfort, for all the pain she caused Lauren the past month or so.  
Normani stalked over to the chaise, heels clicking seductively, with a freshly-lit cigar in hand, as she came to a stop in front of Lauren, glaring apprehensively at Fernando.  
"Are you comfortable with all of this?" He asked.  
"Yeah, yeah." Normani answered quickly, sitting slowly next to Lauren.  
"Perfecta, mi negrita." Fernando praised as he fiddled with the monitor beside him.  
"What did you just call me?" Normani asked, leaning forwards and furrowing her eyebrows.  
"No, Mani, he didn't mean it like that." Lauren shot out, adjusting the strap on Normani's lingerie set, "It's a term of endearment. It's nothing bad, I promise."  
"Oh..." Normani replied quietly, crossing her legs "O-okay."  
"Now what we will do is, I just want you, Normani, to sit there, smoke the cigar, and look sexy. Lauren will be doing the work." The pair nodded, "I will tell Lauren what to do as the song goes on so just hold the same expression, okay?"  
"Yes." Normani answered with a smile.   
"Bueno." Fernando drawled, turning to an assistant, "Get close first, please, this won't work if there are five feet in between you two."   
The two women scooted together, still staring at the director.   
"Ok, Lauren, para la primera parte, quiero que la libertad de descubrir sus manos a lo largo de todo su cuerpo - como si estuvieras difundir algo en ella."  
The command was simple: all she had to do was touch Normani like she was spreading something along her skin. Lauren grinned mischievously as Fernando counted off the take, watching Normani take the cigar into her mouth. As the music began to blare over the set, Lauren raised one hand up slowly grazing it on Normani's toned stomach, leaning her face closer and closer to Normani's cheek.  
"Good!" Fernando encouraged, shooting his thumb up into the air. Lauren carefully tossed Normani's hair to one side, hissing the lyrics of their song quietly into Normani's ear as she watched her body shudder lightly. Goosebumps rose on Normani's skin, and intoxicated with the amount of control she had over the other woman, Lauren moved her hand up her toned abs, grazing the bottoms of her breasts, only to quickly move back her hand back down. She pressed her brick red painted lips against Normani's jaw, hearing the darker woman's breathing speed up. Fernando had long stopped giving Lauren feedback as she had clearly taken his direction into her own hands yet, he did not stop the take as Lauren was delivering more than he'd asked, which was what he truly desired.  
"Look at the camera, Normani!" Fernando commanded over the blaring music. Smoke poured slowly from Normani's lips as her heavily-lidded eyes snapped to the large lense. Lauren continued to sigh and whisper lyrics lightly over Normani, holding a smoldering glare into the camera as she grazed her fingers along the body that she'd missed so much.  
The track's volume was lowered as Fernando started, "Now Normani, the music is going to keep playing while you do this so please hold your face." She nodded slightly as Lauren continued teasing her, "Slowly, por favor, turn over onto your tummy and kind of lean onto the arm of the chair, but keep the lower end of your body over Lauren."  
Normani obeyed, shifting her weight over as Lauren moved with her in accordance. "It must be graceful."  
Normani kept her eyes on the camera lense, arching her back as she laid her chest on the arm of chaise, kicking her stilletos up in the process.  
"Perfect, now smoke."  
Normani brought the cigar between her lips, adhering quickly to the director's commands.   
"Lauren, pon tus manos alrededor de su cintura." Carried away with her arousal-induced revenge tactic, Lauren brought her hand to the arch in Normani's back, sliding it down as she watched smoke part from Normani's full lips. Lauren smirked as she snapped the waistband of Normani's thong, knowing Normani's predilection for being spanked. She then palmed Normani's ass, giving it a light squeeze. Fernando looked on in satisfaction as Lauren ruthlessly teased the woman laying over her. As the track began to fade out, Lauren leaned down to Normani's back and pressed her lips in a gentle kiss against Normani's shoulder, holding her gaze on the camera and ending the take with a charming wink.  
"Perfect!" Fernando repeated, clapping enthusiastically, "Perfect, perfect, perfect! You two are great."  
Normani shot up in Lauren's lap with an awkward smile, keeping her eyes on the director's.  
"Let's break for lunch everyone!" Fernando said, "Thank you, ladies."  
Normani handed off her cigar to an assistant and sat on the other end of the chaise, avoiding Lauren's eyes.  
Lauren hummed underneath her breath, grinning wildly in satisfaction.  
"Did you say something?" Normani asked softly, turning to the grinning woman.  
"Nope." Lauren replied coolly, holding her smile as she stood up from the chaise. Normani paused, sighing as she stood up and let another assistant wrap her bathrobe around her scantily clad body. She deliberately looked around the set before turning back to Lauren, who was already strutting out of the room.  
"L-Lauren, wait!" Normani called out. The green eyed woman turned around, nearly rolling her eyes as she saw Normani scurrying closer to her.  
"What do you want, Normani?" Lauren asked hastily.  
"Can I talk to you, please? In private?"   
Lauren stopped, as she slid into her bathrobe, pursing her lips in contemplation.  
"About what?"  
"You know what."  
Lauren paused, sighing exasperatedly, as if talking to Normani had become a chore.  
"Fine," Lauren said, "But make it quick."   
"Okay, I can do that." Normani said, swiftly leading Lauren out of the mansion towards her trailer. The pair charged through the setup outside as they began to pass occupied staff, who were bustling to the lunch area to beat the long lines. Lauren kept her eyes on Normani, who was in front of her, steadily making her way through the crowd.  
As they passed the food tent, the hoards of people dispersed behind them, leaving them alone back where the trailers for the talent were located.  
Once Normani looked around to check for eavesdroppers, she looked back at Lauren whose eyes were focused on her ass, the thinness of the fabric of the robe having clung to it and captured Lauren's undivided attention as per usual.  
"Lauren." Normani started impatiently as Lauren met her eyes, her cheeks flooding with color.  
"Huh?"   
"What was that all about?"   
"What do you mean?"  
"You know exactly what I mean."  
"Erhm..." Lauren giggled, "No I don't."  
Normani rolled her eyes as they stopped in front of the trailer door with her name written on it.  
"That game you pulled back in there," Normani admitted, "You...touching me. What was all of that?"  
"An act." Lauren replied quickly, rolling her neck. "You do have to play pretend in music videos, you know that, right?"  
"Yes, I fucking know that."   
"Of course." Lauren said, smirking and leaning her head against the trailer door, "I mean, you played pretend with me for a smooth month, so I assumed you knew how to g-"  
"Lauren!" Normani cried out, lightly smacking her hand against Lauren's arm.  
"But I know for a fact you weren't playing pretend during that take, you were basically seeping through your panties." Normani rolled her eyes in annoyance. "And don't touch me." Lauren said sternly.  
"Lauren," Normani paused in an attempt to recollect herself, "that's what I needed to talk to you about."  
"Then talk." Lauren commanded,"I don't have all of the time in the world."   
"Look." Normani started, locking her eyes with the younger woman's, "I am on your side."  
"No the hell you aren't!"  
"Lauren," Normani whined, "please hear me out, it's all I ask." Lauren ran her fingers through her hair and crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as Normani continued, "Come inside."   
Normani opened her trailer door as Lauren walked in hesitantly. Normani looked around once more before she followed, shutting the door behind herself.  
"Do you want anything to drink?" Normani asked, looking over at her table filled with refreshments.  
"Do you have wine?"  
"No drinking on set, remember?" Normani reminded with a smirk. Lauren stood unamused, crossing her arms again.  
"I'm fine, then."  
Lauren sat down on Normani's couch, opening her bathrobe slightly.   
"Shoot." Lauren bossed as she crossed her legs.   
"I'm just gonna be upfront with you," Normani started, plopping next to Lauren on her couch. "Niko and I aren't together."  
"Shut up." Lauren scoffed.  
"No, I'm serious!"  
"It sure didn't look like it."   
"That's what I need to talk to you about..." Normani trailed off, "Niko and I have an...agreement of sorts."  
"W-what do you mean?" Lauren asked as her unconcerned demeanor falling as she stuttered.  
"Let me think of a way to word this without making you flip your shit." Normani muttered and she pursed her lips again.  
"No, I can take it." Lauren replied, "Just be upfront like you said."  
"You better not cry th-."  
"Just spit it out, Normani!" Lauren cried out, re-crossing her legs.  
"Niko and I are just...business partners."  
"Business partners who fuck each other? Hm, that sounds interesting." Lauren commented sarcastically.  
"Let me finish." Normani said sternly. "I know he's a piece of shit but...once upon a time, as a new artist, I thought that he could be of use to me." Normani paused, "I knew that he could get me into a position to really blow up. So in order to guarantee it, nothing got in the way of that, we made a deal to fake a relationship."   
"So you don't really care for him at all, do you?"  
"No. I don't." Normani said, shaking her head. "Not one bit."  
"But you're fucking him?" Lauren asked, cocking her head to the side.  
"Not anymore." Normani said, "I'm in the process of moving out...he's just so fucking evil."  
"But you did, right?"   
Normani sat quiet...nodding slowly in response.   
"So you mean to tell me that you were fucking that asshole just for a hit?! Are you really that pathetic?!"  
"L-Lauren..."  
"Oh, I see it now, that's why you just thought you could fuck me while you had a fake boyfriend sitting at home." Lauren sat back on the couch, "You stood there and watch him hit me because you don't give a shit about anyone but your goddamn self, huh? You only care what people can provide for you!"  
"No, I d-"  
"You fucked me just because your fake boyfriend was in another city with some other bitch...you really don't care about me at all."  
"Laur-"  
"And you lied to me! You lied to my face just because you knew that I would fuck you at the end of the day." Lauren paused, "And you're probably just gonna make a shitty apology just so you can get back into my panties again." The room fell silent.   
"Listen to me, Lauren." Normani said, "I know you need your time and I know everything that I did to you was wrong and I'm truly sorry for it. I really am..." she paused to gather her thoughts. "I've realized that the decisions that I've been making have been really unhealthy and I'm trying to fix everything that I've damaged because of it... _and_  I'm not trying to get into your panties."   
"Bitch, please." Lauren scoffed, sitting up in the couch, wrapping her bathrobe around her tightly, "You're just wasting my time, now."  
"No I'm not!" Normani cried out, "I can help you, and I'm trying to tell you how but you won't let me!"  
"Help?" Lauren asked, "I don't need help. What I need is for you to stop pulling shit out of your ass to try and make me feel better."  
"I wasn't expecting you to accept my apology and I know that you need your time but I just would like to help you because I care about yo-"  
"No you don't."  
"I'm serious...I really do." Normani said, "I know for a fact that I can help you with what you're going through."   
Lauren scoffed again as she edged up on her couch, "If you're just gonna waste my time, I'm much better off eating my lunch in peace...I don't have time for this bullshit." She got up from Normani's couch and turned to the door, hearing her stammer in disapproval.  
"W-wait!" Normani yelled. "I have them! I have them!"  
"What do you have?" Lauren turned around, meeting Normani's desperate eyes.  
"Y-you know what Niko did to you at my party?"  
"Yeah," Lauren said, "it's kinda hard to forget being bitch-slapped."   
"I'm really sorry for not doing more right then, but I was able to get the tape from the surveillance camera at the entrance of the venue. It got everything and it should be shipping to Matt's house any day now." Normani confessed. "We can hang that tape over his head so he can hand over yours. It's not a clean or legal deal, I know, but it's about time his evil ass got a taste of his own medicine." She paused, "A-nd, I swear to you, 'cross my heart and hope to die' that I am on your side, Lauren. I wouldn't be here practically your  _feet_ , if I wasn't. I wouldn't be here listening to someone give me shit for my terrible life decisions, if it were anyone  _but_  you. So please. If not for me than for yourself, I'm just trying to make things right."  
Lauren stared at Normani with her arms crossed unflinchingly glaring at the desperate woman in front of her. Then Lauren put her arms down and took a deep breath.   
"So how do we go about blackmailing one of the biggest producers in music without getting caught?"


	12. Chapter 12

**_"Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell." -Walter Scott_ **

"Please, come in." Normani invited with a smile, adjusting her plush bathrobe as Lauren shuffled into the mansion, gazing at all of the ornate decor.

"I didn't know you were coming this early."

"My driver knew a shortcut." Lauren replied stalely, stuffing her hands underneath her oversized striped dress shirt and into her pockets as she escaped the humid air.

"Ah, okay. Now would you like some water or anything?"

"No, thank you." Lauren replied quickly.

"Well, Matt's in his office over there on the left," Normani stated, pointing her finger towards the room, "I'll go finish getting ready."

"Alright."

Normani turned around and jogged towards the grand staircase, flicking on the light of the chandelier hanging in the middle of the expensive home, illuminating the whole room. As Normani sped up the stars and eventually vanished from Lauren's sight, she sighed in relief. She began to wander down the foyer, looking appreciatively at seemingly expensive paintings intermingled with personal portraits on the walls.

"Lauren!" A cheerful voice jeered from down the hall. Lauren scuttled down the hallway, walking in the direction voice called her from.

"Ah, Lauren Jauregui." Matt said loudly, emerging from his office door. Lauren gasped at the man popping into her view, putting her hand over her chest as her heartbeat sped up.

"Oh shoot, I'm sorry. Did I startle you?" Matt asked quietly.

"N-no." Lauren stammered as she blushed. "Well," she paused to chuckle nervously, "Yeah, you did a bit. I just wasn't expecting you to pop out like that."

"My apologies." Matt said sincerely, sticking his hand out in front of him, "Matthew Davis."

"It's nice to meet you." Lauren greeted, firmly shaking the young manager's hand, "Your home is beautiful by the way."

"Thank you!" Matt replied, glancing around the hallway. "I've heard some great things about your music, I'm so excited to see how Hands On Me does."

"I am too." Lauren huffed, putting her hands back in her pockets.

"Come on in." Matt invited, tilting his head to his open office door. Lauren followed as she watched the manager roll up the sleeves to his dress shirt. She shifted her eyes to the wall behind him, admiring all of his accolades and photos.

"I always end up having meetings here, so I just bought this." He tapped on a wooden conference table, "Brand spankin' new. It was a pain in the ass to set up though."

Lauren chuckled as she took a seat at the freshly waxed mahogany conference table. Matt stayed back at his own desk on the other side of the office, taking a pair of reading glasses clipped on his shirt and placing them delicately upon the bridge of his nose.

"So," he started, crossing his arms, "A dear friend and mentor of mine once told me it's best to introduce the elephant in the room instead of ignoring it so here it is," he paused, "I know just about everything."

Lauren hesitated slightly before she nodded her head, silently telling the manager to continue.

"I know that you two haven't been on the best of terms." He paused to sit up on his desk, "Right?"

"Oh you're right." Lauren answered with a quick nod.

"I understand that business is business but to be honest with you, Normani was my friend first before I started managing her. Now with that being said, I don't think that you're aware of how your words affect her."

"S-so...that's why I'm here?" Lauren asked, raising her voice, "For you to scold me like I'm a child?"

"No, no, I'm sure you're a nice person, don't get me wrong," Matt disagreed sympathetically, "I'm just saying that I think some things went a little too fa-"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you kicking her out knowing damn well she had no place to go on such short notice. Or when you said all of those nasty things about her life at the shoot." Lauren sat back in the office chair, biting her lip quizzically.

"Did Normani give you the real story?" Lauren snapped quickly, "What she did was fucked up and I know you know that it was."

"Look," Matt patted his hands on his slacks, "I'm just gonna cut right to the chase." He leaned forward to the opposite end of the conference table staring coolly into Lauren's eyes. "I've known her for at least a decade and I have only seen her with tears in her eyes twice." Lauren crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Twice. That's it. For the longest time I thought she got her tear ducts removed."

"And what's the big whoop about that?" Lauren asked rudely.

"The first time was when she came to ME," he emphasized, "To get away from that asshole Niko. "And the second was when we met up after the shoot the other day."

Lauren's eyebrows rose, "Really?" she asked quietly, sitting up in her seat, "Are you serious?"

Matt nodded his head slowly as he said, "She came back to  _this_  house in tears, crying about how she needed to prove to  _you_ that she wasn't a bad person."

The room plummeted into a silence. Lauren sat quietly, registering Matt's harsh words.

"And she's not a bad person, I can bet you my life that she's not." Matt said, pointing his finger at Lauren. "All I ask is for you to consider the fact that everybody's life doesn't happen the way they want it to, but just because you were strong enough to walk away from it all and take the high road, doesn't mean it is easy for others to do the same."

Matt crossed his legs, "I hate to sound like an ass but you don't know her. There are so many quirks underneath the surface that she doesn't even address because she's constantly hustling trying to make her dream work. She doesn't sit and wait, she works out solutions no matter how ill those solutions may be. So, consideration for other people's various ways of being has got to be key, right?"

"Right." Lauren replied shyly, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"Just don't be an asshole." Matt advised coldly. They sat in silence for a few moments, only for Normani to pop into the office, now clad in a colorful printed two piece set.

"You look well rested." Matt complimented with a smile, quickly erasing his stern expression from before.

"Thank you, thank you." Normani running her hands along her body, "I bought it the other day."

"It fits you well."

"Perfect," Normani paused to look at Lauren, who had her eyes glued to her body. "I just came in to snag Lauren away from you real quick."

"Oh now, don't mind me." Matt said, hopping off of his desk, "You can use my office!"

"Thanks Matt." Normani replied in a sing-songy voice. The manager looked back at Lauren as he exited, giving her a quick fake smile before disappearing from her view.

"We'll need you in about 15."Normani added to her manager as she watched him glide into the hallway. Lauren sat up in her chair and watched on as Normani quietly shut the door.

"I got the tape ready, backup files and all," Normani said, turning back to Lauren and taking a chair beside her, "There are so many ways we can go about this, I'm so-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Lauren interrupted as Normani swiveled closer to her, "I have a question."

"Yeah, what's up?" Normani asked kindly, meeting eyes with Lauren whose tentative expression sparked her curiosity.

"What's up with you?" Normani asked again.

Lauren sighed, looking at the office door to make sure it was shut.

"I mean...uh....Matt was- I mean erhm-"

"Just say it." Normani commanded sternly, arching her eyebrows quizzically.

"Matt was," she paused to sigh deeply, "mentioning something and now I'm little curious about it." Normani glared at the floor and licked her lips, knowing exactly what she was inferring, "A lot curious about it, to be honest. I mean...it would be good for us if you tell me what's really going on here."

Normani sighed and brought her eyes to the table in a weak attempt to mask her uncomfortableness.

"You're not obligated to, though." Lauren added mindfully, scooting closer to the woman.

"Long story short, Niko is an asshole." Normani blurted out, "He's...possessive, he's conceited, he's a-," Normani stopped herself, still avoiding Laurens eyes, " _Abusive."_ she mumbled under her breath.

"He's what?!" Lauren bellowed, "God, Mani please don't tell me what I think you just said."

"It makes sense though, doesn't it?" Normani looked up at Lauren, "If he hit you in front of another man and three women, you know he put his hands on me."

Lauren scooted even closer to Normani, locking her eyes on Normani's.

"Mani..." Lauren whispered.

"I'm not looking for sympathy," Normani said scooting back slightly away from Lauren, "I just feel so fucking stupid about letting it get that bad." Normani shook her head slowly, "Granted, it only happened really badly once and I moved out right after, but I've been beating myself up for even allowing that." Normani sighed, "And the way you brought it up at the shoot hurt  _a lot_." Lauren twiddled her thumbs uncomfortably. "It made me think about how I should've been honest not only with you but with him from the very beginning," she paused, "I wasn't even all that happy with him, either. I did it for business reasons. But, now that I'm here with Matt and I finally have time to breath, I'm genuinely trying to become a person who makes decisions for happiness and business, not someone who picks one or the other and loses both." Lauren smiled earnestly. "So, I'll just start off by saying that I'm sorry for all of the bullshit I've put you through, Lauren. You didn't deserve to pulled in and then treated that way."

Normani watched on as Lauren shifted in her office chair, rubbing her hands along the table, tapping her foot nervously. Normani was right, once again. Everything they put each other through had drained the both of them and Lauren had to be honest with herself to remember who she was truly mad at. She wanted to finally get her past over with but she just couldn't be mad at Normani anymore. "I accept your apology." Lauren declared.

She began to inch closer to Normani with a grin spread across her lips, "From here on out, we're gonna be honest with each other, alright? Can you promise me that?"

"One-hundred percent" Normani said genuinely, "I can promise you that."

Lauren's hand slowly trailed over to Normani's thigh, grazing it as she added softly, "Good."

"Wait," Normani whimpered, scooting back to slide Lauren's hand off of her thigh with discomfort evident in her face, "One more thing."

"What baby?"

"Yeah..." Normani gulped, "That's gotta go."

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked, bringing her hands back to the table, "I wasn't too forward was I?"

"No, no, no," Normani said sympathetically, "Well....yes but look, let me just get this out of the way too," Normani licked her lips before she continued, looking back at the door and hushing her voice, "As much as I want you, which is a lot since we're being honest now, I've literally fucked up my entire approach on this type of stuff and I don't want to do that anymore." Normani watched Lauren's lips turn into a frown, "I mean..I have feelings for you without a doubt," Lauren let out the breath she'd unintentionally been holding in relief, "But I'm trying to be happy now and that means doing things the hard way."

"Oh..." Lauren whispered meekly.

"That's not a no, Lauren." Normani clarified, sitting up in her chair "It's a 'let's take it slow'...just so I can sort things out with myself, you know? I can't try to be with anyone in any capacity until this part of my life is successfully taken care of. And I can't try to be anything for you until I'm happy with myself."

Lauren sighed, tapping her fingers on the table before replying gently, "Yeah, I do know. And I understand how you feel and I can respect that. Maybe I could benefit from that kind of.... _introspection_." Lauren sighed again, realizing that their sexual relationship for the most part was the majority of their relationship and it made sense for Normani to take a step back from it to focus on herself. Lauren was willing to accommodate, even though she was desperate for their sexual activities to resume.

"For now, our goal is to get rid of that asshole," Normani stated, "Then let's see where we stand."

\---

"I keep telling y'all, for a possessive, conceited asshole, Niko is not that sharp." Normani said, scrolling through her iPhone.

"We're just trying to make sure everything goes smoothly." Matt advised, looking over to Lauren who still stared eagerly out of his truck's tinted window.

The plan was almost too easy: They were parked outside of Niko's complex was for Normani to break into Niko's penthouse and retrieve all of her clothes and the lyrics sheets of the music she'd written in collaboration with Niko. Even if Niko could take the beats from her album, she was not going to allow him to take the lyrics she'd worked so hard on.

The mission would take 20 minutes at the most, but Matt, knowing Niko's abusive ways, was concerned for her safety.

"Alright, alright," Matt sighed deeply and leaned back in the driver's seat, "If you take longer than 30 minutes, I'll call you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Normani opened the backseat door, climbing out of it as Lauren followed, "I got this, Matt, don't worry."

"Be safe!" Matt cried out before the pair simultaneously slammed the car doors.

"He is right though," Lauren added, "We do need to be quick."

"Don't worry," Normani said, walking briskly towards the entrance, "I got this." She turned to Lauren with a smile, only to stop abruptly with a loud gasp.

"Lauren!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"Put that bat in the trunk! I told you that you don't need to bring that over here!"

Lauren's hands tapped on the knob of a metal softball bat, shrugging as she answered, "I hate Niko a lot more than you do, I came here to fuck shit up."

Normani scoffed as she rested her hands on her head, "I'm just trying to get my stuff, not demolish the place."

"Why can't we do both?" Lauren asked with a laugh, tossing the bat in between her hands by its grip, "Plus, I paid for this. I wanna get my money's worth."

Normani sighed, licking her lips, "You're a mess, I swear."  
"Can I use it or not?" Lauren asked loudly.

"Just..." Normani sighed, "Don't hit any windows. Now let's go." The pair smoothly slid through the complex doors as Normani double checked the empty hallways, making sure they weren't being watched.

"Ok, Agent Kordei." Lauren whispered, bumping into Normani's shoulder as she continued to walk carelessly throughout the lobby, "You're just bringing more attention to yourself."

"I'm just tr-"

"Where are the goddamn elevators? I'm ready to hit something!"

"Left." They walked down the hallway, taking note of the surveillance cameras on the walls they passed. Lauren was already fuming as she kept reminding herself that getting into that penthouse would be one of her last chances for payback. As she pounded the knob of her bat onto the elevator button, she jumped up excitedly, turning to a quiet Normani.  
"Aren't you pumped?" Lauren asked, watching Normani cross her arms, "Why aren't you pumped?! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"I'm only here to get my stuff." Normani replied, "Your crazy ass just wants to hit shit."

"I didn't play softball for ten years for nothing, right?!" Lauren cried out, hopping into the opened elevator door.

"Oh my goodness." Normani scoffed with a chuckle, pressing Niko's floor number, "I can't take you anywhere."

"You can't blame me, though."

"You're right." Normani answered in a sigh, "Just let me get my stuff first, and then you can do your thing."  
"Sounds like a deal." The elevator zoomed upwards as the pair stood in silence. Normani's arms were still crossed as her eyes locked on the elevator doors, waiting for them to slide back open.

"Are you sure he's not here?" Lauren asked, "Because if he is, I won't be afraid to swing at him too."

"He's in New York, I'm pretty positive of that."

The elevator doors finally slid open as Lauren added, "I'll take your word for...." her words trailed off and she gripped defensively at the bat. The brunette woman that caused Lauren's sudden silence stood in front of them smiled as her eyes snapped to Normani's.

"Oh," the woman whispered, "I didn't think you'd be in town..."

"Aw hell no, this bitch!" Lauren exclaimed, bursting through the elevator doors, causing the brunette to back away nervously.

"What do you mean?!" Normani hissed, following Lauren out of the elevator "You know her?!"

"Yes, I know her!" Lauren's hands tightened around the bat's grip as color flooded to her cheeks.

"N-no, you might have me mixed up with someone else." the shy woman replied shakily, putting her hands up in protest.

"No, no, no, I remember your ass!"

"Lauren, put the bat down!" Normani warned, yanking the bat out of Lauren's grip.

"I remember you!" Lauren yelled, inching closer to the brunette. "You're the one I walked in on, huh? Catherine, right?!"

"Lauren! Chill out!" Normani pulled at Lauren's wrist, yanking her out of the woman's personal space. 

Lauren struggled in Normani's grip but she couldn't break from it. She sighed as Normani held her arm around tightly, cursing under her breath at Normani's strength.

"Forgive her." Normani huffed to the woman with an awkward smile, "She's just," Normani grunted as Lauren writhed under her grip, "She's just a little off the wall today."

"Oh no," the woman muttered, "It's fine...I guess."

"Who are you?" Normani asked kindly, "Catherine?"

"No...it's Camila." the brunette replied with her eyes shifting between an infuriated Lauren and a calm Normani. Lauren quit trying to break herself free from Normani's grip, gritting her teeth as she stared down the innocent-looking Latina who was nervously biting her lip.

"And what are you doing here?"

"Probably fucking your ex!" Lauren spat out, "They've been fucking for years, you know?"

"Lauren," Normani let go of her wrist to turn to the angry woman, "Please, can you shut the fuck up?!" Lauren growled as she crossed her arms, glaring angrily at Camila.

"I came to see a friend." Camila replied, ignoring Normani's comment, "I just had something to tell him something...but he didn't tell me that he would be out of town."

"Is this friend....N-"

"Yes," Camila answered, "Niko."

"Oh! So Lauren was right?" Normani asked cocking her head to the side, watching Camila tap her foot nervously.

"It's okay," Normani added, "We're not together anymore. You can tell me. I promise."

"Really?!" Camila gushed, "You two are over? Officially?!"  
"Ok, you sound a bit too excited."

"No, no," Camila said with a wide smile, "This is good for us."

"Us?" Normani asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, backing away from the Latina, "What the fuck you do you mean 'us'?"

"I came to tell him that I'm pregnant!"

Lauren roared in laughter, watching Normani's jaw slack in surprise. Camila stood in her place, hopping excitedly.

"This has to be a fucking joke!" Lauren cackled in between breaths, "This is too much!"

"W-well, u-um congratulations, C-Camila." Normani quickly rearranged her face into fake smile, stuttering over Lauren's boisterously obnoxious laughter.

"Thank you!" Camila added excitedly.

"Oh wow, you must love him a lot then, then?" Normani asked, walking closer towards the brunette. Camila nodded as another smile spread across her lips.

"Well Camila, it seems like your blessings are just lining up." Normani praised with a giggle, "I'm leaving him and he can finally be all yours. Sounds nice huh?"

"Yes." Camila replied dreamily, "We can finally have the life we've been talking about."

"Wait," Lauren chimed stopping her laughter, "You've been talking about starting a family?"

"All of the time! This all was basically planned, we just haven't seen each other since he's touring and all."

"Ah, this is just too fucking perfect." Normani sighed underneath her breath, regaining her composure, "Since you two have been talking about it so much you guys can actually go about the plan. Maybe you should ask for a ring." Normani winked at the woman, who hopped up again.  
"I was going to ask him about it when he got home, how did you know?!"

"I can just tell." Normani lied, "I know this perfect bridal shop in Midtown if you wanna plan ahead. I can give them your name if you'd like."

"You are a gem!" Camila cried out, flinging her arms around Normani's neck in a tight hug. Lauren began to cackle again as Normani peeled herself off of the other Latina, smiling uncomfortably.

"I'm gonna send out your invitation first!" Camila added, hopping towards the elevator.

"Sure thing!" Normani exclaimed, sharing a knowing expression with Lauren. As Camila disappeared from their sight, Normani began chuckling, her laughs joining Lauren's loud ones.

"Why'd you have to gas her up like that?! You know damn well Niko is not trying to get married!" Lauren yelled in between her gasps of laughter.

"Who knows? He's the one that wanted her of all people to have his children."

"He hit it raw and she wasn't complaining, that's what happened." Lauren said, reaching for Normani's hand, "And give me my damn bat back."

"I was trying to help us, that's all."

"By referring our ex's side chick to a bridal shop?" Lauren asked, gripping at the bat's knob, "Whatever you say, mama."

"If we hang this pregnancy over his head, he'll leave us alone. No father wants his kid to be exposed to the bullshit that is his fucked up existence. And then on top of that, Camila will be pressuring him into marriage at the same time, it will be too much for him to abandon a chance at the picture perfect life he and I tried to pretend to be." Lauren stopped and her jaw slacked.

"You don't think ahead at all, do you?" Normani asked, looking back at Lauren as she continued to walk down the long hallway.

"You're so fucking smart, I wasn't even thinking about that."

"Yeah because you were too busy going from trying to beat her ass to pissing your pants in laughter." Normani stopped in front of Niko's door, reaching in her jean pocket for its key.

Pushing the door open, she looked back at Lauren, "Let's make this fast, we've got ten minutes left."

Normani sped through the fancy loft, scrambling towards the master bedroom to grab for her things.

"Ugh," Lauren grimaced, glaring at Niko's belongings sprawled across the room, "This place smells like him."

"You can either be quiet or swing at shit, it's your pick." Normani warned.

"Aw, but I don't wanna swing at the new father's stuff." Lauren chuckled, "We don't want Niko Jr. to see his home all messed up."  
"Then shut your mouth." Normani scoffed, hopping around the king-sized bed to grab more of her clothes.

"Here, make yourself useful." Normani said. Lauren's eyes turned to Normani's voice, right as a thick folder flew towards her face. She dropped the bat instantly against the hardwood floor, a loud bang reverberating through the room as she caught the folder, gasping lightly.

"Look through there for lyric sheets," Normani bossed, "All of mine have my name on it."

"Gotcha." Lauren answered, kneeling down on the floor as her hands fiddled through the folder.

Normani pulled her old suitcase out of Niko's closet and flung it on the bed, piling her clothes into in hurriedly.

"He is out of town, there honestly is no need to go that fast." Lauren observed, looking up from the folder.

"It makes me feel badass, and besides we told Matt this would be quick, let me live." Normani answered with a smile, "Any luck?"

"I found a few. How many should there be?"

"26."  
"Goddamn!" Lauren exclaimed, fishing faster through the folder. Normani pulled the zipper to her suitcase and stalked over to Lauren.

"Here, I got it." Normani said, taking the folder from Lauren's hands, "You can trash the place now."

Lauren pumped her fist in the air and pushed off the ground, taking her bat with her.

"I need a bit of batting practice." Lauren tossed the bat in her hands before leaning it on her shoulder.

"No walls, no windows." Normani advised.

"Duh!" Lauren cried out, rearing back, aiming at Niko's huge plasma television. Lauren pivoted her foot and swung hard at the screen, shattering it with a loud 'clunk' reverberating around the whole loft.

"If only you had to the key to all of his homes." Lauren grunted before leaning back again and swinging even harder at the screen, "All of his shit would've been fucked up."

"It looks like this folder has all of mine in them." Normani admitted, ignoring Lauren's comment. She brought the folder back over to her suitcase slipping it into a pocket and zipping it up. She began to roam around the loft, glancing back occasionally at Lauren, who was still swinging ferociously at Niko's television screen.

"Don't forget to get the Playstation." Normani added.

"I was just about to do that." Lauren said, kicking the game console down from the shelf underneath the TV, ripping all of the cords plugged inside of it.

"We should find his condom stash," Lauren grunted again as she swung at the console. "make balloons of it, and decorate the whole house with them."

"Okay, time to go." Normani said, ignoring Lauren again. She reached for her suitcase and yanked it off of Niko's bed, pulling it behind her as she strutted towards the front door.

"You don't want to swing at all?" Lauren asked. Normani stopped and bit the inside of her cheek, turning to Lauren who held up her bat towards the other woman.

"Sounds tempting." Normani answered, edging up to Lauren, "But we're running out of time."

"I know you want to." Lauren teased.

Normani apprehensively took the bat by its barrel, twirling it in her hands and resting them loosely around its grip.

"I'm not really an intentionally violent person, Laur, you know this is out of my element."

"Um...this is the guy that's gonna try to ruin your career, you know that r-" Before Lauren could finish, Normani slammed the bat into Niko's game console, instantly cracking its outer shell, exposing its circuit boards.

"That felt good." Normani admitted in a deep breath, exchanging smiles with Lauren, "Now, let's get the hell out of here."


	13. Chapter 13

**_"Demolish the bridges behind you-then there is no choice but forwards."_ **

"Don't play that evil shit with me, I can actually fight." Matt warned loudly, tapping his fingers on the conference table "I'm from East Point!"

"Chill out man." Niko replied calmly, leaning back in an office chair.

"And take those goddamn sunglasses off, we're inside!"

Niko scoffed as he pulled his expensive pair of aviators off of the bridge of his nose.

"Ooooh you just get on my nerves!" Matt cried out, "I'm getting mad just by looking at you."

"I don't think a manager should be acting this unprofessionally."

"I'll act professionally when the ladies come in but for now, I'll act any way I want."

Niko groaned as he took his phone off of the conference table, unlocking it to answer a text message.

"You're just.....so evil." Matt scolded underneath his breath, "So dark sided."

"Can you stop?" Niko begged, looking up from his phone, "I haven't even done anything."

"Yes, you have! Don't lie!" Matt stomped his foot, "I heard about you, Niko. I was w-"

"Good morning." Normani interrupted plainly, strutting confidently into the conference room, adjusting the strap on her black skin tight dress as Lauren followed briskly behind her.

"Good morning, ladies." Matt replied calmly, kissing each girl on the cheek before sitting down in between them at the conference table. Lauren scooted up to the table, shimmying in her seat to adjust the skirt of one of Normani's tight dresses that she's let her borrow for the special occasion.

"Good morning." Niko said staley, planting a single disk onto the table, labeled with his and Lauren's initials in thick black sharpie.

"I love what you two did to the loft." Niko said quietly, "it added a nice... _flair_. Such a shame since you'll be crawling back to that same penthouse in about 5 weeks." He grinned at the jab directed towards Normani in self-satisfaction.

"We're just gonna keep this short and sweet," Normani started, ignoring Niko's comment. "You're not gonna keep fucking with Lauren and I's lives and get away with it. You just aren't."

"Okay...that's not really gonna change my mind." Niko retorted, "Money talks, you know?"

"So do surveillance cameras." Lauren replied, tossing another disk onto the table, "Remember that pussy move you pulled? I do."

Niko's eyebrows shot up as he nearly jolted in his seat, glaring nervously at the disk.

"Every millisecond of what you did that night is on this disk, Niko." Lauren said, pointing menacingly towards him, "And if that sex tape gets released, you will kiss everything you know and love goodbye. But you won't release that tape because you don't want your family to have this scandal on their hands, now do you?"

"Family? What the fuck do you mean, family?!"

"Oh!" Normani huffed dramatically, "Camila hasn't told you?"

Niko paused as he arched his eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean?" He asked after a pause.

"You're gonna be a daddy!" Lauren cheered, "Can't believe she didn't tell you!"

"You're fucking kidding me!" Niko yelled, "you don't know shit about-"

"She's a beautiful girl, too. I bet your kid's gonna be the cutest little thing. Maybe she can make me the godmother and I can teach them all about their shameful daddy..." Normani marveled, "You don't want the world to see them as the child of an a woman beater, do you?"

Niko sat quietly, nervous tapping his hands on the table.

"That...that can't even be true!" Niko replied nervously, "She's not even...I mean, we didn't- we never-, I alw-"

"There's no need to lie, we are aware you're dumb enough to have a lapse in judgement." Normani said, sitting up in her chair. "Just hand over the tape, and we can call it a day."

Niko sat still, shifting his eyes between the three people who all stared at him menacingly.

"Let's put this in perspective, since you're acting so hesitant." Matt said. "Say you leave here and release the sex tape," Lauren winced at his words, "Then we'll release the surveillance tape. Simple, right?"

"Mmhm." Lauren and Normani replied in unison.

"This isn't the 1700s I'm sure the general public won't freak out over Lauren's hoo-ha being all out...hell, they might love Lauren's hoo-ha you never know!"

"Matt..." Normani whispered, "Please."

"What I'm trying to say is, everyone is going to respond in a different way. Lauren isn't a child star, people aren't gonna burn her CDs because she's having sex, let's be real. I personally think that they'll buy more, if we're being honest." Matt paused to pick up the surveillance disk, "But if this bad boy gets released....woo, the public is going to be up your ass for decades. Especially since it's on camera. We're talking jail time here."

"Hypothetically," Lauren started, "We release this... you will face jail time. And judging from the video, you will be charged with not only assault and battery because you fought Peyton but domestic assault and battery because you put your hands on me."

"And in the state of Louisiana," Normani said, "that's about..." She paused to count on her fingers, "Maybe 8 to 10."

"Months?" Niko asked.

"Years, dumbass!" Matt yelled.

"And in 8 to 10 years, your son or daughter will be in their last years of elementary school, wondering why their own father can't come home and tuck them in at night. Sad, huh?"

"You won't have income, Camila can't hold down all of your properties and your other hoes and take care of a child while you're locked up. It would just be too messy...but you can avoid all of this."

"Just hand it over and leave us alone." Lauren warned.

"And if you don't, we  _will_  drop the tape."

"With no remorse." Lauren emphasized, sitting back. The room fell to a crippling silence as Niko sat up in his chair, resting his fingertips on the disk and quickly sliding it towards the three.

"You two are some cunning bitches. I wish I never met either of you." He groaned.

Matt chortled as he picked up Niko's disk, smiling at it excitedly.

"But I wanna be a cunning bitch, too!" Matt whined jokingly.

"We'll fax a few contracts as soon as possible, Mr. V. Now get your wack ass out of my fucking office before I call the cops to come pick you up!" Matt bellowed, watching Niko jolt out of his seat.

"Hurry up, you're walking too slow." Lauren added in between giggles. Niko jogged out of the room, looking back to glare at the three, whom were all waving and laughing at him.

"Okay. Now that that's out of the way, well done, ladies." Matt praised, picking up his briefcase behind him, "Well done."

"Thanks for everything, Matt. You really helped us out there." Normani cooed.

"I didn't take those law classes for nothing now." Matt said, walking towards the door, "I got a date to get to though girls, I'll see you two later tonight. It was fun fighting crime and what not."

"Bye Matt!" Lauren and Normani echoed together smiling and blowing kisses in his direction.

Matt opened the door with his free hand, turning back at the pair, saying, "Don't get into too much trouble." He winked and then disappeared from their sight.

\---

"I'm told you he's a dumbass, Lauren." Normani repeated, dipping a fresh strawberry into her cup of frozen yogurt, "It was way too easy once I realized I had to make a few calls. Although I think Camila's pregnancy really solidified the deal. He an ass. But an ass who wants the American Dream."

"I know." Lauren sighed, slumping back into a wired chair outside of the suburban shop. "It just that it all happened so quickly." She turned to gaze at the Atlanta sunset, "Someone who's made my life a living hell...gone forever. In what, two weeks?"

"I wouldn't say gone forever," Normani corrected, swatting a hovering fly away, "We definitely got him in check, though."

"Oh hell yeah." Lauren agreed with a giggle, "He won't be an issue for a while." She scrapped her spoon on the side of her cup of frozen yogurt, looking up to Normani and saying, "Now I know who to call whenever someone fucks with me."

"You could've gotten the tapes too, you know?"

"Shit...you're right."

Lauren attributed the whole outcome of the Niko situation to luck: she was lucky that Normani didn't give up on her and force her to work out the situation by herself. She was lucky that the owners of the venue in New Orleans quickly became open to duplicating the security tape and most of all, she was lucky to finally have something to hang over Niko's head, just like he would do to her when they were together. But it Normani's mind, it definitely wasn't a case of them being in the right place at the right time. She'd done what she had to do to help someone she cared about. Normani didn't even bother to mention how hard it was for her to pull the extortion off. She'd gotten lucky that they'd ran into Camila when they did. However the hardship of the situation was a necessary one to her, especially since what happened at her birthday party had haunted her for weeks.

Despite their personal takes on the situation being varied and unknown to the other, the outcome was desired by both and now they had time to focus on more important things. Things like mending their careers and themselves.

"Anyways," Lauren started, licking the last bit of her froyo off her spoon, "Thanks for the frozen yogurt, Mani. This parlor is very...you."

"I'm assuming that's a compliment."

Lauren giggled and answered, "Of course. How'd you find it?"

"We shot down the street from here a few weeks ago."

"You were shooting down here?"

"Yeah!" Normani said cheerfully, "Matt didn't tell you?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Hm," Normani took another spoonful of frozen yogurt, "He's the main one that brags about me."

"Exactly," Lauren agreed, "What were you guys shooting?"

"Just a little commercial they wanted me to dance for. They wanted the beat of Watch n' Learn in the background so they thought it would be cool if I danced to it too."

"Aw," Lauren replied with a pout, "I wish I could've gone."

"Next time, you can. I promise." Normani said, pulling her spoon through her full lips.

"Great." Lauren grinned, at the darker girl. They sat in silence, waiting for Normani to finish her yogurt.

"I've been meaning to ask, what's been up with you?" Normani interjected into the comfortable silence, scraping the sides of her cup, "How has New York been treating you in my absence?"

"It's been going well," Lauren replied cheerfully, "Your room is clean and ready for you to come back."

"I can come back?" Normani asked happily, sitting up straighter in her seat.

"Of course!" Lauren answered with a giggle, "I thought we talked about this earlier!"

"I mean kinda but I don't like to assume."

"And I've been in the studio writing, singing, and playing stuff. I had a long press day a while back, too."

"How did that go?"

"It was...different." Lauren replied with a mischievous smirk.

"Different? How?"

"I found it funny because," Lauren chuckled, "well...because every interviewer kept asking me about the music video."

"They kind of have to," Normani said, "It's why you're being in-"

"Duh, of course I know that but...they kept asking me about  _us_  since the video was so hot."

"Oh really?" Normani asked, shifting in her seat, dramatically licking at her spoon.

"Mhm." Lauren replied, cracking her voice, slightly taken my Normani's actions, "Most of them thought that the chemistry was too hot for there not to be something going on between us."

"Interesting."

"Well it is a really, really sexy video. A lot of articles and segments have been made about it...especially the ones talking about how it's too inappropriate."

"Oh I've heard," Normani said with a nod, "they're just butthurt white moms, I'm not worried, they just wish they were free like we are."

"Noted." Lauren replied with a light giggle.

"Anyways how did that go over?" Normani asked. "What did you sa-"

"That we're not." Lauren answered, "because we hated each other at the time."

"Correction...you hated me."

"Same thing."

"Mhm." Normani groaned, "It's funny how we were in such a bad place then but we were able to make one of the sexiest videos of the year so far."

"I love irony of it all!" Lauren exclaimed, "It's like some kind of motif with us."

"I bet the questions got annoying after a while."

"Nah, not really it just helped me reflect on things."

"Interesting."

"What do you mean by that?" Lauren pleaded.

"I'm just saying that it's interesting!" Normani said with a smile.

"Excuse me." A quiet voice interjected. The pair turned to the door of the creamery, immediately smiling at a tall woman who had just thrown away her cup of frozen yogurt.

"Yes?" Lauren asked kindly.

"I hate to interrupt but I never thought that I'd see you two here." The tall woman walked towards the pair as Normani and Lauren stood from their seats, "I absolutely love Hands On Me."

"Oh, thank you!" Normani replied sweetly

"We're glad you like it." Lauren said, "It means a lot, we worked our asses off on it."

"It feels like I hear it more and more everyday."

"For real?" Normani asked shockingly.

"Yeah," the woman exclaimed, "Ever since the music video came out they're playing it a lot more."

"Interesting." Normani said.

Lauren playfully nudged her shoulder before the woman continued, "I heard it in the club last night and on the radio this morning!"

"You think people really like it?" Lauren asked.

"Everyone in the club did, that's for sure!" The woman replied with a laugh.

"Oh my god." Lauren hummed underneath her breath.

"And the video was so hot, ladies." The woman gawked, "I loved it."

"Well thank you, mama!" Lauren said standing, opening her arms and hugging the fan.

"You girls are killing it." The woman praised, leaning off of Lauren's hug and then turning to hug Normani.

"Aw thank you." Normani said sweetly.

"I know the video has been getting a bit of flack but you two definitely have my support."

"You're a sweetie pie." Lauren complimented, "Thank you so much." The woman turned her head to the creamery door, watching a man exit through them, looking back at her with an expectant smile.

"I hope I wasn't annoying you or anything."

"No you weren't!" Normani protested with a giggle.

"Okay just making sure." The fan trailed off as she walked to the exit."Have a good night, you two."

"Likewise." Lauren called out, waving to the woman as the man joined her and they walked to the parking lot, hopping into a small car. As its engine turned on, Lauren turned back to Normani with her jaw slacked open.

"Right?!" Normani assumed excitedly, "I feel so bad because I wasn't even watching the song on the charts like that."

"Me neither. We might be on to something..."

"Might?" Normani asked, bringing her hands to Lauren's forearms "We are!"

"I've got to talk to Matt about this."

"He probably already knows! It's his job!" Lauren turned to throw away her and Normani's emptied cups of frozen yogurt.

"This is so exciting, I've missed this so much." Lauren sighed.

"See what happens when you ride with me?" Normani joked, taking Lauren's hand as they walked towards her car.

"Oh, shut up." Lauren scoffed jokingly, "It's a collab, remember?"

"Of course I do," Normani said, leading Lauren to the passenger's side of her car, "You would never let me forget, baby." Lauren stopped in her tracks, turning around to Normani and leaning on her door.

"Baby?" Lauren asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Normani stood quietly with a soft smile plastered on her face. She placed her hand on the car besides Lauren's head, slightly brushing her hair.

"I have a good feeling about this." Lauren said after a pause, slowly bringing her hands to Normani's hips, grazing her fingers along the belt loops of her tight denim shorts. Lauren's eyes trailed Normani's body as she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. Normani leaned closer to Lauren, following her eyes as they went down her body.

"You better be talking about the single." Normani whispered knowingly.

"I was!" Lauren replied innocently, licking her lips.

"Sure." Normani said sarcastically, "You swear you're in the clear now."

"Huh? What you mean?"

"You wanna repay me with sex so bad." Normani scoffed. Lauren's cheeks flooded with color.

"I can see it in your beady little eyes." Normani teased, pointing at Lauren knowingly.

"Well you  _did_  do a lot for me." Lauren's fingers tugged slightly on Normani's belt loops, bringing her closer.

"Awww, you're so cute when you're fiending." Normani arched her eyebrows and leaned to Lauren's ear, whispering, "Watch yourself, Jauregui." She winked at Lauren, pulling herself out of her soft grip. She turned around walking to the driver's side of the freshly blacked out Range Rover, knowing that Lauren was watching her from behind.

"Don't want you to forget about our agreement."

"Mhm." Lauren sighed, watching Normani's hips sway until she disappeared around the back of the car. Turning around, she reached for the handle of the passenger door, biting her lip in an exasperated sigh.

This was going to be harder than she thought.


	14. Chapter 14

**_"How often I have found that we grow to maturity not by doing what we like, but by doing what we should. How true it is that not every 'should' is a compulsion, and not every 'like' is a high morality and true freedom." -Karl Rahner_ **

** ONE MONTH LATER **

_"Ay dios mío." Lauren groaned, grinning as Normani winded her hips over Lauren's center._   
_"Is that how I know I'm doing it right?" Normani asked seductively as she leaned down to whisper into Lauren's ear "If I make you speak Spanish?"_   
_"Hell yes." Lauren hissed, playfully spanking Normani's behind. Lauren rested her head on her pillow, biting her lip as Normani continued to grind on top of her._   
_"Mani....." Lauren breathed through her teeth, "Mani, right there." Lauren suddenly felt a tapping at her shoulder, still mesmerized at what Normani was doing to her._   
_"Normani." Lauren repeated wantonly._

"Lauren!" A voice called. The Latina jolted up in the tour bus bunk, almost slamming her head into its low ceiling.  
"Huh- h- what?!" Lauren stammered groggily, "What happened?"  
"Shhh! Don't be so loud!" The voice hushed, "I'm not gonna let you sleep in my bunk anymore if you keep moaning my name like that."  
"What are you talking about?" Lauren groaned quietly, accustoming herself to the constant whirring of their tour bus as it rolled down the highway.   
"You know what I'm talking about, don't lie." Normani scoffed. "You're the horny mess that was dreaming about me."  
"Oh god." Lauren rubbed her hand along her face, turning to Normani who was still cuddled against Lauren's side.  
"Well you can't blame me for missing it so much."   
"Mhm. Look I miss us too, but you're gonna have to learn how to control those nasty dreams of yours."  
"To be honest, they're not nasty if you've done them to me before," Lauren groggily admitted, "in real life of course."  
"Oh, hush." Normani scoffed, "Now get up," she patted Lauren's lap, "We're almost there."  
Lauren turned over onto her stomach and groaned into the pillow.  
"C'mon, get up." Normani urged, patting Lauren's behind.  
"No." Lauren snapped.  
"Lauren, drop the bitchy attitude."   
"Can you just come back in five minutes?" She whined, "I was having a good dream."  
"I know," Normani said, hopping out of the bunk, "The whole bus probably knows too."  
"Oh god." Lauren groaned.  
"We're in your hometown for Christ's sake, it wouldn't hurt if you were a bit excited about it."  
Normani pulled back the curtains of her bunk, giving off the bright lights lined upon the ceiling of the tour bus.  
"Now get up for glams."  
"Ugh, I hate when you call it that." Lauren mumbled into her pillow.  
"You don't want me to call Candece over here now do you?"  
"Nope."  
"Get your ass up then."  
It was their tenth destination, 20th morning, and final day of their joint radio tour. Almost every other day, they had a show or two and a multitude of interviews, some of which asked a barrage of career-minded questions ("How is Hands On Me different from your solo songs?" "What is to come from both of your albums?") Some of which did the complete opposite asking a generic set of questions regarding basic things like favorite foods, most attractive male celebrities, or their dream collaborators. It was a tiring cycle for the both of them but what kept them going was how they could tell how well the song was doing just by the response they received in each city. The fact that they were in each other's company every single day gave them the opportunity to present to the public who they were as collaborators and people individually. And consequently, the radio tour was serving as a career booster and bonding experience for both of them and one that they had been deprived of since they met each other.  

"Welcome back to Y100, you two!" The energetic DJ exclaimed.   
Lauren and Normani looked over the small room filled with fans, smiling at them as they replied sweetly, "We're glad to be back." In unison.  
"How does it feel to be back in the 305, Lauren?"  
The room erupted in cheer as Lauren blushed, replying into her mic, "I'm super stoked to be back home."  
"Are you gonna show Normani around town after you two leave here?"   
Lauren turned to Normani with a smile, nodding excitedly.  
"Yeah, we just don't know where we're gonna g-"  
"No don't lie!" Normani interrupted jokingly, "I said I wanted to go to the beach but she wants to go shopping."  
The fans laughed at Normani's interruption, watching the two in absolute awe.  
"But you can do both, you got time."  
"I hope." Lauren muttered, shoving her hands into her short pockets.   
"Now of course both of you are here to talk about Hands On Me, which is hot! It's been climbing up on the charts."  
"Yes, we've heard!" Normani said excitedly into her mic.  
"Now how did that work?" The DJ asked, "Because we always see Lauren here singing rock n' roll/alternative type stuff while Normani sings the more sensual R&B, how did you two agree on it?"  
'Not this damn question again.' Lauren scoffed in her head, trying her best to not roll her eyes.  
"Well," Normani started, sitting up to readjust the tight maxi dress she wore, "I mean, even though we don't sing the same genre, we still have admiration for other genres and Hands On Me was kind of a mixture of that."  
"Yeah definitely," Lauren added, "But I also think that the song itself is out off of our comfort zones and to see it doing so well is kind of like...a shock."  
"Well not necessarily a shock," Normani added, "But it was very interesting to watch it blow up given that we're so different."   
"Yeah." Lauren agreed, waving to a fan in the crowd.  
"Well we get tons of requests for it." The DJ added, "Like daily."  
"That's amazing." Lauren marveled, grinning at all of the fans in the crowded room.   
"Since it's so  obvious that you have a lot of  fans down here, we at Y100 decided that they're going to interview you, not me."  
Lauren's eyebrows arched as she turned to look at Normani, her lips curling into a smile, curious as to what was going to happen next.  
"This sounds like an  interesting idea." Normani hummed away from the mic.  Lauren frantically tapped her foot against the stool she sat on, slightly anxious with what was to come.  
"Don't be nervous, now!" The DJ advised, stepping down to a line of fans standing on the side of the stage.   
"Let's get this show on the road, what's your name?" The DJ asked, pointing his mic to a beaming woman.   
"Summer!" She replied confidently.  
"Hi Summer." Normani and Lauren greeted with a wave.  
"Alright, and what's your question?"  
"How did you two meet?"  
"Oh gosh" Normani whispered, giggled as she leaned forwards in her stool.  
"Yeah," Lauren said, rubbing on her eyebrow, chuckling awkwardly, "Uh...we uh, we met at...honestly I, hm" she paused, taking time to reflect on the first time they met.  
"Honestly," Lauren started, "I don't remember much but I do remember that it wasn't...necessarily ideal."   
"Yeah, Lauren hated me." Normani snapped back as the fans laughed along with her, "She just didn't like me for some reason."  
Lauren nodded slowly as color filled her cheeks in embarrassment.   
"Why?" The DJ asked, "You two don't really look like you hate each other."  
"Yeah but just wait until we get backstage," Lauren joked, "I'm beatin' her ass."  
"She's kidding, She's kidding!" Normani clarified, watching the laughing audience, "She'd lose anyways."   
"Oh shut up, Mani." Lauren scoffed, giggling along with her.   
"No but seriously," Normani started,  "We did not meet under the best circumstances but I feel like we easily and quickly grew to like each other as people and as artists and it's partly because Lauren is truly a genius when it comes to this stuff. She taught me so many things that I never knew about music and her passion, especially while we were writing this song, made me want to...you know, work harder and to make things work." Lauren's hands traveled up to her face as she continued to blush widely, "And to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to do this collab with anyone else. So yeah, we were off to a rocky start but I'm grateful that it was Lauren."  
"Aww, thank you Mani." Lauren gushed, reaching for her hand, "That's so sweet."   
The room quickly filled with loud "Awwwws" and various declarations of excitement. Normani took Lauren's hand as they both looked out to the audience.   
"Alright," The DJ started louder than before to get the audience's attention, "this next question is from..." the DJ walked along the line, stopping at a short, handsome man as he pointed the mic in his direction.  
"Kyle." He answered shyly.  
"And what's your question?"  
"So, what do your boyfriends think of this song?"  
"What do you mean?" Lauren snapped defensively, leaning forwards in her stool.  
"Like," Kyle sighed, "What do they think of the song? Or the music video? If it applies, of course."  
"Oh." Normani nodded in realization.  
"Well...it doesn't apply." Lauren replied quickly, letting go of Normani's hand, "Sorry, Kyle."  
"So both of you are single?" The DJ instigated, pointing to the both of them.  
"Mhm." Normani replied quietly, nodding her head.  
"Wait, aren't you and Niko V a thing?!" The DJ yelled. Lauren rolled her eyes and sat back in her stool, crossing her legs.  
"Nope, not anymore."   
"What happened?! You two were a power couple!"  
"Well I don't think I need to put that out there." Normani replied softly, "He's just...out of the picture."  
"Let's just leave it at that." Lauren added, smiling knowingly at the nosy DJ.   
"That's completely understandable, ladies." The DJ said, walking along the line as the room settled to an awkward silence, "Here's another question from..."  
"Dion." A short teenage girl answered, tapping her foot impatiently on the studio carpet.  
"And what do you have to ask?"  
The short girl leaned into the DJ's mic, resting her hand on the side of it.   
"Yeah," she started loudly, causing half of the room to jump up in their seats, "This one is for Normani," she looked at the darker woman, who beamed with a smile, "since you and Niko aren't together anymore, how long have you and Lauren been screwing?"  
"Whoa!" Lauren interjected over the audience's gasps, "Too far!"  
"You know that's why half of us are here, right? We just want to know!" The girl retorted, shrugging her shoulders and smiling menacingly before stepping out of line.  
Normani's lips pursed as she turned to her mic, deliberately ignoring the question.  
"Yeah...we forgot to check that one." The DJ said to a cameraman, "You don't have to answer that one, Normani."  
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to." Normani said, sitting up in her stool, chuckling awkwardly.   
"Well, I would ask for two more questions, but we ran out of time." The DJ lied, glancing at his watch. The audience sighed collectively as he added, "Sucks, huh?" Lauren tapped her foot anxiously on the floor, purposefully ignoring Normani glaring at her. Lauren's head pointed down to the carpet, hiding her expression from the audience, all of whom were ready to record her reaction for all of the Internet to see.  
"It's been a pleasure ladies," the DJ started again, sparking a loud applause from the audience, "I hope both of you have a nice day off."   
"Thank you, thank you." They replied in unison again, standing up from the stools.   
"Everyone here, go buy Hands On Me if you haven't already!" The DJ pressed on his mic and turned to Lauren and Normani who were both sported awkward, slightly startled expressions.  
The DJ whispered, "Listen ladies, I'm sorry about that."   
"Oh no it's fine."  
"Yeah, it's perfectly fine."  
"It's just that my assistant didn't screen the questions and all of t-"  
"No don't worry about it!" Normani assured, reaching for the DJ's broad shoulder. "You'll probably get a lot of clicks for it anyways."  
The DJ chuckled awkwardly before motioning his head to the backstage conference room. As the pair followed he added, "Thank you so much for coming out today, it means a lot to everyone here."  
"It's a pleasure to be back man." Lauren replied cheerfully, "It was a good experience...awkwardness and all."   
The DJ laughed uncomfortably again, "I hope you both come back and visit."  
"We will for sure, don't worry!" Normani answered, reaching for the conference room door handle.   
"Thank you!" Lauren added.  
"See you two soon." The DJ added quietly before turning down the hall and back out into the stage room.  
"He was so sweet...nosy, but sweet."  Lauren sighed, watching Normani begin to push on the door.  
"Wait." Lauren whispered sharply, grabbing for Normani's hand. The darker woman turned to her with a confused expression.  
"What you said out there was very...." She sighed as she watched Normani smile at her, "Sweet."  
"Well," Normani replied as she let go of the door knob, "it was the truth." Normani grinned while slowly wrapping her hands around Lauren's neck.   
"I've gotten so used to you clocking me that took me by surprise."   
"Oh shut up," Normani scoffed, "It was from the heart, Lauren. Besides, I only clock those who I care about."   
"I'll take your word for it then." Lauren  pulled Normani flush against her body, biting her lip while glancing around to make sure that they were the only ones in the hallway.  
"As you should."  Normani replied huskily, slowly leaning forwards and delicately placing her lips on Lauren's in a chaste kiss.  
They both exhaled softly, relishing in the little moment they had to themselves. Even though they were expected in that conference room and soon, they always took advantage of the little moments they shared in solitude.  
Their lip gloss made their lips cling together as their kisses began to grow more and more heated every time they attempted to separate. Normani strained to push herself  even closer to Lauren's body, opening her mouth so she could deepen the kiss. Lauren quickly obliged, spreading her tongue across Normani's bottom lip, slowly moving her hands up and down her tight maxi dress, stopping deliberately at her ass.   
After giving it a tight squeeze, Lauren pulled herself off of Normani, nearly giggling at her expression that silently begged for more.  
"C'mon," Lauren said while patting Normani's behind, "Let's get in there before they come looking for us."

\---

"We're lucky we were able to convince everybody to go somewhere else." Lauren started, attempting to force their dollar store-brought umbrella into the hot sand.   
"Mhm," Normani sighed while carefully placing her towel onto the ground, "They're probably getting wasted as we speak." She plopped her flip-flops on the corner of her towel, "But I can't blame 'em, it's Miami we're talking about."   
"You're right about that." Lauren grunted with her forceful digging, "But now we finally have a bit of time to ourselves."   
Normani motioned to sit down on her towel, but she looked back up to Lauren instead, watching  her struggle with the cheap umbrella.  
"Do you need help with that?" Normani asked with a giggle.  
"You know what? Fuck it." Lauren sighed, letting the umbrella fall to the ground, "I don't mind getting a tan."   
"Does that mean I can put sunscreen on you?!" Normani asked excitedly.  
"Why not?" Lauren sighed, throwing off her oversized t-shirt.  
"Yay!" Normani exclaimed as she fished through her oversized beach bag that she forced Lauren to lug all the way from the car, smiling wider than ever.   
"Be careful though," Lauren warned, as she laid down on her towel, "you never know if paparazzi are here or not."   
"I'll just give you a PG-13 rub down then." Normani said, squirting sunscreen into her palm, "Now turn onto your stomach."   
"Wait, what were you gonna give me at first?" Lauren asked with a chuckle, obeying Normani's directions.   
"Chill, Lolo, it wasn't like I was gonna give you some on a public beach."  
"That's not what I was assuming!"   
"Sure." Normani replied sarcastically, biting her lip while slowly rubbing sunscreen on Lauren's thick thighs.  
"I've only got four hours to get as much relaxation as possible." Normani admitted.  
"But we have the whole rest of the day off, what are you talking about?"  
"I only have the afternoon off...technically."  
"Damn, how busy are you?"   
"Very." Normani sighed, moving her hand up to the bottom of Lauren's ass, only to slide back down her legs, making the woman beneath her moan softly in the process "Conference calls, meetings..all that jazz..." She paused to bite her lip trailing off as she watched her hands as they  rubbed over Lauren's body. "I actually have to go into the studio tonight."  
"What?!"  
"Yeah, I told the label what's up about the tracks and they only could milk half or so out of that dirty bastard so I'll have to record the other half."  
"Didn't you have like 26 songs?"  
"Yup, and I have to re-record 13 of them."  
"Goddamn that's heavy." Lauren said, suppressing a moan as Normani's hands went down to the small of Lauren's back. "I bet your label is on your ass about it."  
"Oh they are alright, they nearly pulled the plug on this whole tour thing we're doing but Matt convinced them otherwise." Normani poured more sunscreen into her palms, "And since the label won't get off my ass about it, they won't quit arranging meetings and shit. I mean, I'm not stressed but it's becoming a burden to keep up with all of the things I have to take care of before the album drops...especially because they're trying to avoid a pushback."   
"You should get an assistant." Lauren suggested.  
"I've been looking into that actually, I'm just trying to find someone good enough for me." Normani carefully tossed Lauren's hair to the side so she could spread sunscreen over the dragonfly tattoo at the nape of her neck grinning as she added, "I also need to do a bit of planning for something I have lined up for us tomorrow."   
"What do you mean?" Lauren asked.  
"It's a surprise." Normani replied mischievously, "Now turn over."  
"You and your teasing, I swear." Lauren groaned, turning on her back, squinting her eyes, "Is it a birthday present?"  
"Not necessarily. But, I have more  _interesting_  things in store for your 22nd." Normani hinted, "But you'll enjoy tomorrow, I promise."   
"I'll take your word for it."   
"As you should." Normani stated as she began to rub sunscreen on the front of Lauren's legs, "You look good Lauren, have you been working out?"  
"I only work out when I'm with you."  
"Hmm," Normani giggled childishly as her hands rubbed slowly down Lauren's abs, "And I've been wearing you out, huh?"   
"When we go to the gym together, yes." Lauren corrected, knowing exactly what Normani was  insinuating. Normani kept quiet, marveling at the woman underneath her. Her hands went up to the bottom of Lauren's breasts grazing them lightly, then back down to her sides and finally down her toned abs, biting her lip in an attempt to hold in her flirtations. It had gotten harder and harder to resist the her, especially since they'd been spending every waking moment together. They both were always so eager to pounce on each other but ultimately Normani always held back in the end, reminding herself why she'd made her decision to not go all the way for a little while. She simply was not interested in breaking her promise to herself and Lauren because she knew that the results would be worth the wait.   
"Alright," Normani hummed, snapping herself out of her trance, "all done, mama."   
"Thank you, Mani." Lauren thanked, sitting up on her towel, "Do you want me to do you?"  
Normani dropped the bottle of sunscreen, slightly taken by Lauren's question.  
"I-uhm-huh?" Normani stammered nervously.  
"Your sunscreen, I meant." Lauren replied calmly.  
"Oh!" Normani nodded her head in understanding, "I-I'm good, I put some on before we left."   
"Ah, you're right. You did." Lauren recalled, reaching for a bottle of water in Normani's beach bag.  
"You wanna go down to the water with me?" Normani asked excitedly, standing up from her towel, her light pink cover up flowing the slight breeze.   
"I was going to read a little bit first." Lauren said, grabbing a thick book out of the beach bag.  
"You sure you don't wanna cool off first?"  
"I just don't wanna come back and get the pages all wet," Lauren replied, tilting her head slowly, "But I'll be down there, I just have to finish this chapter."  
"Alright." Normani said, tugging at the hem of her cover up, "You know where to find me."   
Lauren nodded, fumbling with her book as Normani took off her cover up. Lauren flipped through the pages, stopping immediately once she saw Normani toss her cover up over her long hair, showing off her extremely toned body in a colorful neon blue bikini. Lauren's jaw slacked, admiring Normani's dark body which still glistened in the sun. Her v-line protruded from her low-rise bikini bottoms and her belly button piercing twinkled in the sunlight, which almost made Lauren salivate.   
"God damn, Mani." Lauren hissed, crossing her legs, stopping her eyes at Normani's breasts.  
"It's so cute right? It's the perfect example of neon done right!" Normani gawked, twirling around playfully.  
"Are you cold?" Lauren asked, leaning down to grab her water bottle, keeping her eyes on Normani's chest.  
"It's 100 degrees for crying out loud, why would I be?" Normani asked.  
"Because you're..." Lauren paused, pointing at Normani's breasts, "You're uh....you're showing up there." Lauren unscrewed her water bottle, as Normani peered down at her bikini top.  
"My tits?"  
"Yeah," Lauren answered shakily, taking a quick sip of her water, "Those."  
"Oh, those are just my piercings."   
"Your what?!" Lauren exclaimed, accidentally spitting out her water in the process, "They're pierced?!"  
"Yes," Normani replied calmly, "You really haven't noticed? I guess I'm better at this abstinence thing than I thought..."  
"No! Not at all! When did you get them done?"  
"I don't know," she peered back down, "A little over a month ago. They're still kinda sensitive."  
"It's sexy." Lauren complimented, biting her lip again.  
"Just wait until you see them without the top." Normani answered with a wink before turning her back to Lauren and swaying towards the water.   
"W-wait up!" Lauren cried out, tossing her book back on her towel, "I'll go with you!"  
"You better keep up then!" Normani exclaimed as she sprinted through the sand. Lauren adjusted her bikini before sprinting behind the darker woman, giggling when she finally caught up. Then she delicately took her hand and led her towards the shore.


	15. Chapter 15

 " _Lo último que siempre queda es la familia_."

"Just be patient." Normani advised. She leaned back into her seat and looked out the window at the sunset as their SUV humbled along the city streets of Miami.

"You keep saying that, but you know I'm not patient." Lauren groaned under her breath, twiddling her thumbs nervously. Normani had been hiding their plans for the evening from Lauren ever since she mentioned them at the beach the day before. Every time Lauren would pester Normani about the surprise, Normani would simply ignore her frustration and tell her to be patient. But Lauren wasn't listening: she was nervous for some odd reason. Their time together had assured her she could trust Normani with everything, but Lauren knew for a fact that Normani loved to force her outside of her comfort zone. It was helpful in the long run of course, but Lauren was sick of the secrecy.

"So you're telling me this whole activity is gonna take all night? That's why we checked out of the hotel?"

"Mhm." Normani answered, turning to Lauren with a smile.

"Well what is it then? I think that if I'm spending the night wherever we're going I should at lea-"

"Chill out!" Normani warned, sucking her teeth, "Just go with the flow."

Lauren groaned again and reached for her phone, unlocking it with a swipe.

"It'll be fun, I promise."

Lauren ignored the other woman's guarantee as she began to scroll down her Twitter timeline, catching up on the things she'd missed in the last few days while on the radio tour. For now, the majority of it consisted of her fans arguing with each other and hundreds of pictures of herself: the usual. Outside of making sure her fans were still supporting her, Lauren had never really understood the importance of it but Candece made sure Lauren was constantly putting her name out there and if not drawing in new fans, keeping the old ones happy.

The SUV fell into a silence as it zoomed along a Miami highway, shifting into the exit lane. Lauren continued to scroll on her phone while Normani stared out the window, resting her chin on her palm.

"Oh my god!" Lauren suddenly spat out in a gasp.

"Huh?"

"Oh my god, oh my god, o-"

"What?!" Normani scooted over to Lauren, whose jaw was agape as her eyebrows shot upwards.

"Look!" Lauren thrust her phone screen into Normani's face, who quickly backed away to keep it from smacking her in the face. The darker woman squinted her eyes to adjust to the brightness, trying to make sense of the words on her phone.

"Read it!" Lauren urged nervously.

After a sigh, Normani read, " _Cold-Blooded: Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui acting lovey-dovey on a Miami beach the SAME day Kordei announces split with Niko V."_ Normani slumped back into her seat, looking at Lauren with a grin, "Hmph. That's cute."

"Did you read the headline under that one?!" Lauren asked.

"I don't want to." Normani rolled her eyes, "All of that's bullshit."

"It says that Niko is so heartbroken and that we're just terrible people a-"

"Lauren." Normani said sternly, "I don't care."

"Can you believe after all of that bullshit he put us through that the media is the one that makes us look like the bad guys?!"

"That's just the way it is." Normani answered nonchalantly, looking back out the window.

"Does that not piss you off?!" Lauren crossed her arms and slumped back into her seat, "Because it infuriates the living fuck out of me."

Normani turned to look at the frustrated Latina, who was red in the cheeks and in the tips of the ears.

"You've just gotta tune that shit out, Lauren I have been telling you this."

"It's," Lauren paused to sigh deeply in an attempt to regain her composure, "I just don't think it's fair."

"I get why you're mad." Normani said, scooting closer to Lauren, "And it's fucked up, I know that. But, that's not really gonna change."

"I know, that's what makes me frustrated!"

"You just can't get riled up like this all the time, mama. It's not good for you."

Lauren licked her lips and stared out the window, sighing at Normani's words.

"Besides, they don't even know you...at all. All they're trying to do is make you give them some kind of response and it's working." Lauren nodded her head, turning back to the darker woman.

"Just remember that no one can provoke you if you remain unbothered. You control what people know for a fact about you, not them."

Lauren nodded again, staring at her legs and sighing deeply.

"Yeah...I understand." Lauren said quietly. The SUV got quiet again. Normani met eyes with the driver through the rear view mirror

"But that's what this surprise is for." Normani said as Lauren looked up from her feet and back up to Normani with a small grin, "It'll help a lot."

"It would help me if you told me what it was." Lauren sighed underneath her breath.

"We're practically there already, relax."

Normani tapped her fingers on her purse in between her and Lauren, double checking her phone for any new messages from her team. She was just as tired as Lauren but her plans for the two of them would more than likely alleviate the weariness that came with tour life.

"And, we're here." The driver called out, stopping on the side of a suburban road, "2314"

"Aww yay!" Normani cried, grabbing Lauren's forearm. Lauren smiled ingenuinely, still tapping her feet nervously.

"Can you tell me what it is now?" Lauren asked in a groan, pouting at the darker woman.

"Just look outside the window." Normani hinted, pointing to the outside of the truck. Lauren slowly turned her eyes from Normani's to the SUV window.

"Oh my god." Lauren gasped, snapping her head back to Normani, "You did not!"

Normani smiled and nodded again, grabbing her purse from in between them, "It's gonna be fun, right?!"

"No, it's not!" Lauren yelled out, "You always do this, Mani!"

Lauren turned her head back to the window, feeling her stomach knot as she glared at the smoothly paved driveway filled with cars in front of the villa that Lauren had tried to erase from her memory: her family's house.

"What do you mean by that?" Normani spat out.

Lauren was aware that Normani would be attempting to force her out of her comfort zone but she hadn't anticipated that she would even contemplate about bringing Lauren to spend the night at her own parent's home.

"I thought we were going camping, or-like, I don't know, to a beach house or something but here?!"

"This will be fun though!"

"You  _know_ how I feel about that!"

"Yes, I do know how you feel about your  _family_  and that's why we're here to fix that." Normani replied sharply. Lauren crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm not leaving this car." Lauren groaned under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm not fucking going."

"Well you can sleep on the street then," Normani replied, yanking her purse and slinging it over her shoulder, "I promised them that we would spend the night but if you're too ashamed to show your face to the people who've supported you ever since you came out of the womb, you can just stay outside."

Lauren sat quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"Did you not say that the only thing that was stopping you was money right? Well we're here now! You don't even have to pay a cent."

Lauren opened her mouth to reply but Normani interrupted, opening her door, "What's the worst thing that could happen? Tell me because I wanna know."

Lauren continued to sit quietly, ignoring Normani's question.

"It's your choice, babe." Normani added before shutting the door behind her and following the driver to the trunk.

Lauren sighed deeply as she looked at her home. Whenever Normani yelled, it generally went in one ear and came out the other, but this time it made Lauren think. She was there, and after two long, messy years. Lauren hadn't wanted to do it alone. But now that she was here with Normani, she was out of excuses.

"Would you like for me to stay with Ms. Jauregui?" The driver asked softly as he grabbed onto the green eyed woman's luggage.

"No, she'll be out." Normani answered loud enough so that Lauren could hear through the windows, "But thank you so much for the offer."

Lauren took another big sigh and unbuckled her seatbelt, apprehensively stepping out of the SUV.

"See?" Normani answered quietly, "I told you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Lauren groaned, walking back to the trunk.

"I hope you two enjoy yourselves." The driver wished, slamming the trunk shut.

"Aw, thank you." Normani said genuinely, patting on his broad shoulder, "We should if Stubborn Sally over here will chill out for once."

Lauren rolled her eyes as she grasped the handles of her suitcases.

"I'll be here tomorrow morning at 8 sharp to drop you off at the airport."

"And will Dexter be at LAX waiting for us?" Lauren asked while fanning her face.

"Of course," the driver answered with a smile, "You know how Dex feels about punctuality."

Normani slung her overnight bag over her shoulder, trying to hold in a scoff; they had just arrived and Lauren already wanted to leave.

"We'll see you then." Normani said, "Thanks for everything."

"I'm just doing my job, ladies. Have fun you two," the driver pointed to Lauren and added seriously, "You better savor this, kiddo."

Lauren nodded slowly before the driver turned back to the front of the SUV, waving the pair goodbye once more.

Normani started towards the front door once the engine revved up while Lauren stood still, pursing her lips and squinting her eyes in deep thought.

"Lauren...baby" Normani said softly, turning to walk back to the younger woman, "Please stop stressing yourself out."

Lauren took a deep breath, still avoiding Normani's eyes, "I-it's not that...it's just I'm-"

"Scared, right?"

Lauren finally turned to look Normani in the eyes, nodding slowly.

"'There's no need to stress about this Lauren, what part of that do you not understand? It'll all be okay."

"But w-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Lauren." Normani said sternly, "This is your family, for Christ's sake. I feel like you keep forgetting their purpose in your life. You care about them so much, even if you didn't think anyone noticed. I did. I know what you need, even if you deny it to yourself. I have your back. I'm here with you. Go inside and be happy."

Lauren looked up at the sunset, gripping tightly on the handle to her small suitcase. Normani was baffled by the fact that she could virtually remove every barrier that was keeping Lauren from her family and she would still be hesitant to see them. They were seconds away from easily solving the issue but Lauren still stood quietly, refusing to look at the house.

"C'mon." Normani ordered softly, leaning forwards to peck Lauren's cheek, "Let's go."

Thankfully, the younger woman turned to her house, but kept her eyes on the pavement. Normani led her through the long string of cars in the driveway, looking back only to see Lauren's eyes glued on her own toes.

Right when they reached the front door, Normani pressed her freshly manicured finger against the doorbell, turning to Lauren with a beaming smile.

Almost immediately, the door swung open, revealing a tall bearded man with an elated smile.

"Lauren!" He cheered loudly, opening his arms. Lauren's jaw dropped as she asked, "Chris?! Is that you?!"

"Of course it's me!" He answered, wrapping his arms around Lauren, picking her up in a tight hug and swinging her around on their porch.

"I've missed you so much, big sis."

Lauren giggled under his grip, squeezing her eyes shut.

"You're finally here." He said cheerfully, slowly setting Lauren back down onto the porch.

"It's been," he sighed to hold back tears, "It's been such a long time."

"I know...I know." Lauren replied nervously. Lauren's younger brother turned to Normani,

who stood with a grin plastered across her face.

"Oh forgive me, you must be Normani Kordei." Normani stuck out her hand but Chris' arms were already wrapped around her in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for bringing her over here, you're an absolute gem."

"It was the least I could do." Normani muttered over Chris' shoulder, "It's so nice to finally see you in person."

"Likewise." Chris replied excitedly, "You're even more gorgeous in person. I'm such a huge fan of your music you have no idea. I'm stoked for the album."

"Aw thank you!" Normani replied genuinely, placing her hand over her heart sincerely, "Your support means a lot."

"Everyone's so excited to see you guys. Dad invited literally everybody."

"Everybody?" Lauren asked.

"Well this is your homecoming, right? You know dad, he always wants to celebrate."

"Of course." Lauren replied softly.

"Here, let me take your things upstairs" Lauren and Normani quickly handed off their things to him.

"Come in!" Chris urged, pointing behind him, "Come say hi to everyone."

As Lauren stepped in, she was immediately hit with the hundreds of memories she had in the house. She walked through the foyer in front of her living room and recalled how she'd walked down the same foyer every single morning for school not too many years ago. She peaked into the dining room where her family spent their Christmases stuffing their faces with the  _best_  Cuban food. She peered at the pictures that were hung on the wall, recounting every memory associated with them: her first day of school, her first talent show performance, and even her first time at the beach. The memories were countless and Lauren was hit with a level of nostalgia that she had never experienced before. It was a lot to absorb but for the first time in a long time, Lauren felt at peace.

"Mi Lorena!" Lauren's mother cried out, walking up swiftly to her oldest daughter with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around Lauren, whispering 'We missed you such much' in Spanish over and over again into her ear. Lauren pursed her lips, holding back tears as her mother continued to hug her in the middle of the living room. No matter how long Lauren could protest against how ashamed she felt to be back home, she really did miss her family after all of these years.

"I've missed you too." Lauren said as her mother unwrapped her arms around her. She rested her hands on her oldest daughter's shoulders, looking at her up and down.

"I can't believe you're actually here." She whispered, wiping tears away from her cheeks, "And you've grown so much I can't believe you're about to turn 22 mi niña!"

"In about a week now, too."

"I know! We are so proud of you, mija you have absolutely no idea." Her mom added in her thick accent.

Lauren's mother put her hands by her side and turned to Normani.

"You!" She emphasized excitedly, "You are a sweetheart, Normani!" She rushed over to give her a hug.

"Aww, thank you Mrs. Jauregui!"

"Call me Clara, you're practically a Jauregui now." She said with a laugh, "Thank you for bringing Lauren here."

"It was the least I could do." Normani replied modestly.

The living room became an emotional assembly line of hugs and 'thank yous '. Lauren reunited with her father, Mike, who was practically bawling, her little sister, Taylor, who was nearly double Lauren's height now, her grandmothers, grandfathers, and family friends that were there to celebrate her return. It was overwhelming, but Lauren had never felt better. She was elated, floating around the room with comfort and joy showing proudly on her face.

"Ay dios mio, they've grown up so much!" Lauren cheered, kneeling down to meet eyes with her twin goddaughters, "You two probably don't even remember me do you?"

"They do, alright," their mother answered, "They see you all the time now on TV, right babies?"

The two four year olds nodded as they ran into Lauren's open arms, giggling excitedly. Normani watched on with a brilliant smile on her face. In all their time together, she'd never seen Lauren so happy and calm without weed being responsible. It was strange yet extremely comforting to witness Lauren in this element: Normani had gotten so used to the stubborn, and unhappy version of Lauren that seeing her playing and goofing around with her young goddaughters felt like she was watching an entirely different person. A person who made her heart and mind feel fuller.

Lauren stood back up with one of goddaughters in her hands, turning to Normani with an excited smile.

"Aren't you glad you came?" Normani asked playfully bumping into Lauren's shoulder.

"Of course." Lauren said, looking to her goddaughter, "Thank you, Mani."

Before Normani could reply, the twin's mother said, "The girls absolutely adore your song. Every time they hear it on the radio they won't stop talking about how their god mama is a famous singer."

Lauren chuckled as she watched Normani kneel down to talk to the other twin.

"Wow." Lauren said genuinely, setting down her goddaughter, "Do you like the song?"

"Yes!" The twins replied simultaneously, hopping up and down.

"Maybe Normani and I can teach you two how to dance to it."

"Yay!" They squealed in unison.

"They sure are twins alright." Normani joked to their mom, who laughed along with her.

"Definitely! That twin telepathy is no joke!"

Lauren stood back up catching eyes with at least 6 family members. She turned to look around the whole room, blushing from the multitude of familiar faces she hadn't seen in years.

"Fancy seeing you here." A deep voice said. Lauren quickly turned to it, smiling widely.

"Peyton!" Lauren cried out, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug "I didn't even see you!" Her childhood friend laughed while wrapping his arms around Lauren's waist.

"You knew about this?" Lauren asked, stepping back.

"Of course! I just couldn't spill the beans."

"How are you feeling?" Lauren asked in a much softer tone, stepping closer to him. She hadn't seen Peyton ever since she visited him at the hospital after the incident at Normani's birthday party. For the sake of his health, he took a break from drumming with her, which took a toll on the both of them because they could hardly perform without each other.

Peyton sighed as he ran his fingers through his now long hair, "It's been rough."

"Ally told me you'll be back soon though."

"Yeah," he answered with a smile, "I actually go back to New York tomorrow night."

"That's good!" Lauren cheered, patting his shoulder.

"What about you and Normani?"

"We leave for LA early tomorrow. Then we're kind of doing our own thing with some promo on the side."

"Gosh, I miss being with you."

"But you're at home now...you should savor that. It feels like old times here."

Peyton scoffed before saying,"You're the one to talk."

"What do you mean?"

"Miss 'My Family Secretly Hates Me' is suddenly preaching about savoring vacation time. I appreciate that though."

Lauren chuckled uncomfortably, "I...I mean it's, I mean I've o-"

"No, I'm not coming at you or anything." Peyton assured, "I'm just saying that there's so much stuff you don't know about yet."

"Huh?" Lauren asked, leaning forwards, "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure your dad is going to talk to you about it, but I'll just say this," he paused to rest his hands on his childhood friend's shoulders, "They love you, Lauren. You get that?"

"Of course, of course." Lauren repeated with a quick nod.

"Peyton!" A deep voice called from the kitchen.

"Sí?" He asked. As the voice commanded him in Spanish, Peyton jetted off.

"Don't forget what I told you, Lauren." He urged before walking back towards the kitchen.

Lauren turned back to Normani, who was now sat on the living room floor with Lauren's goddaughters teaching them how to play a hand game all while listening to Clara's many anecdotes about Lauren's most embarrassing baby stories.

"And then, we had to check her out of Pre-K because the rocks wouldn't come out of her nose!" Clara added in between laughs.

"Hey!" Lauren interjected jokingly, "Are you telling Normani the pebbles story?"

"Sí!" Lauren's mom replied excitedly, "It just doesn't get old!"

"You were quite the strange child, Laur." Normani added, looking up to a blushing Lauren.

"At least she's smart and talented, that's what Mike and I say."

The pair giggled as Lauren sat down to join the darker woman and her goddaughters, smitten by Normani's caring actions.

"You two should go freshen up before dinner's ready." Mike yelled from the kitchen, "You've probably been out and about all day long."

"You're right." Lauren said, hopping up with Normani, "We've been up since five doing press work."

"AM?!"

"Yes sir." Normani added, standing up next to Lauren, "But it's fun after a while."

"Goodness, we probably shouldn't party too hard tonight especially if you have a flight early tomorrow."

"No, we can still party just fine." Lauren assured, walking up the stairs in front of Normani "I promise you." Lauren rushed up the stairs, looking back to Normani with another grin.

"Where did your brother put our things? " Normani asked as she followed Lauren down the hallway.

"My room." Lauren said, pushing upon its closed door. As the pair stepped in, Lauren stopped in her tracks: not a single thing had been moved. Every poster was still taped on the wall, her lyrics from her first songs were still organized neatly on her desks, and her old books were stacked on the shelves. The only thing that changed was her bed, which she knew she left in a mess. But tonight, the sheets were freshly washed and the bed was perfectly made.

"Thankful your family didn't remodel, huh?"

Lauren nodded and sputtered out a soft, "Mhm." before walking to her desk and flipping through her old lyrics sheets. Normani leaned on the door to shut it and reached behind her back to lock it from the doorknob, pulling up a strap on her floral spaghetti strap dress.

"And to think you of all people actually like kids." Normani said with a giggle, "You and your goddaughters are too precious, I swear."

"What made you think that I was bad with kids?" Lauren asked defensively.

"I don't know, you just act like a Grinch sometimes." Normani said with a laugh.

"I give off a vibe that screams 'I'm gonna ruin Christmas'? For real?"

"I said sometimes." Normani corrected, meeting eyes with the younger woman. Lauren walked closer to Normani, still blushing in her cheeks.

"You know just how to flatter me." Lauren stated sarcastically.

"At least I know that you are certainly not a Grinch."

"Mhm." Lauren groaned, wrapping her arms around Normani's neck. They stood in silence looking at each other for a few moments before Lauren spoke.

"I know I'm too stubborn to admit things sometimes but...you were right."

"I'm gonna assume that you're actually not having the worst time of your life."

"More like the best." Lauren admitted, "I missed them so much and without you none of it would've been possible."

"Aww. That's sweet, but you have to know it was possible for you to do it yourself. You can do what you set your mind to, too." Normani added with a cute pout.

"Thank you, Normani." Lauren said sincerely. Slowly, she began to lean into Normani's lips, but Normani quickly shut down her romantic advances by changing the subject.

"Your room is nice." She said, stepping around Lauren to observe the decorations hung up on Lauren's wall.

"I bet you were quite the character in high school."

Normani glossed over hundreds of pictures from Lauren's school years, grinning at seeing her in various stages of adolescence.

"I guess."

"Well, what were you like?" Normani asked, sitting down on Lauren's bed.

"I wasn't popular per se but people knew me." Lauren looked around her bedroom walls. "I used to play softball in the spring, but I quit to do more music stuff like chorus, talent shows, stuff like that."

"So you were the selective loner who had a friend everywhere back then, huh?"

"Not exactly." Lauren answered with a chuckle, laying down next to Normani.

"You must've been the artsy, mysterious and musical badass then."

"That one's pretty close." Lauren answered as Normani patted her thigh.

"What about you, Normani?" The younger woman asked, sitting up on her bed, "What were you like in high school?"

"You tell me."

Lauren tapped her finger on her chin to gather her thoughts, taking a long look at Normani.

"I'm sensing that you were the popular cheerleading captain with your sexy quarterback boyfriend that ran the entire school with you."

"Hm." Normani admitted, getting off of Lauren's bed. "You're actually right."

"Spot on?"

"Sort of." Normani said, leaning against Lauren's desk. "I was dance team captain and my boyfriend wasn't the quarterback...he was the center."

"Oh I was so off then..." Lauren said sarcastically.

"Ah, shut up." Normani said with a chuckle, "I spent a lot of my time in high school, you know, dating' all of the pretty boys, and..." She paused, giggling shyly.

"And what?" Lauren asked eagerly.

"Hooking up with all my pretty girlfriends in secret."

"You didn't!" Lauren said, standing up in front of Normani.

"Oh I did alright. I kept the finest girls around me for friends, attraction was inevitable." Normani said with an arrogant grin.

"And on top of all that, a solid 3.8 GPA to make the 'rents proud."

"So you had your shit handled then huh?" Lauren asked flirtatiously, stepping closer to Normani.

"There's been very few times in my life where I haven't had my shit handled if we're being honest." Normani added in a haughty tone.

"But..." Normani paused, "Don't act like  _you_ didn't do the same, Lolo." Normani breathed out, tracing her finger down Lauren's chest, "I bet you had confused and horny teenage girls wrapped around your finger."

"I had a few...since we're being honest." Lauren replied, her eyes followed Normani's hand, which traveled lower and lower down her body.

"Bad girl."

"Well you're the one to talk!" Lauren exclaimed in a chuckle, "You've have all things freaky on lock for a while now."

"True. But there's no shame in my game. I know how to get what I want." Normani replied raspily as Lauren wrapped an arm around her neck.

"What would have happened if we'd met in high school?" Lauren asked, trailing her hand along the small of Normani's back.

"I don't know," Normani trailed off, looking up and down Lauren's body. Then she met Lauren eyes and asked innocently, "What would you have done to a girl like me?"

Lauren's eyebrows shot up as she licked her lips, letting her hand dip lower grabbing Normani's ass through the material of her dress.

"Hmmmm... A popular Queen Bee, with a pitifully inexperienced boyfriend, and a penchant for pussy?" Lauren leaned into Normani's lips, kissing them softly, "I'd pick you up under the pretense of helping you study for your art history class, even though you and I both know you didn't need my help." She kissed her again, "And.."

"And you'd what?" Normani asked wantonly in between Lauren's soft kisses.

"I'd bring you back here, I'd help you with your real problem...and I'd fuck you on this desk."

"Oh really?" Normani asked interestedly once their lips detached.

"Yes. Really." Lauren huskily in between her kisses, which quickly became more and more heated.

Once Lauren moved her lips to Normani's jaw, she answered, "I t-think I would let you do that..."

"For real?" Lauren asked against Normani's neck before biting into her sweet spot.

"Yes." Normani moaned.

"Are you sure baby?" Lauren asked kindly.

"Okay not really, not yet." Normani answered, running her fingers through Lauren's long black hair, "I-I wanna be real with you. B-but I can-  _oh my g-_."

"You can what?" Lauren asked, nipping at Normani's neck once more.

"I can give you something though. You've earned it." She let out in a desperate whisper.

Lauren reattached their lips together in a heated kiss. Their tongues met as their soft moans began to fill up Lauren's old bedroom.

Normani's hand softly grazed the nape of her neck, pressing herself closer to Lauren's body as she kissed her. Lauren sighed comfortably through her nose as her hands kneaded at her ass. Then, she spanked it lightly, knowing that it drove Normani crazy. And as she moaned quietly against Lauren's lips, the younger woman smiled against them in satisfaction. Once she let go of Normani's full bottom lip in a quick bite, Lauren latched her lips onto her throat once more, swirling her tongue right over her sweet spot. Normani let out high-pitched moans, squeezing her thighs together underneath her thin floral dress.

Lauren's hands roamed up from Normani's ass and towards her chest. The darker woman let out a low groan as Lauren softly rested both of her hands on her breasts, still sucking and biting at her neck. Normani hissed from the new sensations, slowly grinding her hips and silently begging for more.

"Let me see those new piercings babe. I've been dying to play with them." Lauren pleaded, reaching down to hike up Normani's floral dress. She pulled it up her thighs, which were still tightly pressed together, and bit harshly at her neck. She looked back up, staring into Normani's eyes, taken by her swollen lips and dark eyes ridden with desire. Lauren leaned in to kiss Normani once more, stroking her tongue across her bottom lip.

"Hm?" Lauren asked breathily as they detached, "Can I?"

Lauren went back to Normani's neck, kissing and biting up and down it. Still waiting on an answer, Lauren kept her hand on Normani's breast and the other clutched with the fabric of her floral dress.

"W-w-w" Normani stuttered in quivered, short breaths.

"Wait. Not yet..." Normani stated. Lauren bit her lip in an attempt to hold in a groan of disappointment.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Mani?!" Lauren asked hastily, leaning back up to Normani's face.

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you." Normani replied seriously, pressing her finger against Lauren's chest, pushing her back slightly. The fabric of Normani's dress slid from Lauren's fingers as she sighed frustratedly.

"Mani, why would you let me go so far if you didn't want this, now I feel guil-"

"You have to follow my directions." Normani ordered, hiking her dress up again.

"Really?!" Lauren jolted up as the pout fell from her face replaced by a brilliant grin. She stepped closer to Normani, only to be stopped by Normani standing up from the desk.

"You don't get to touch." Normani emphasized, softly pushing Lauren back onto the bed. She slowly pulled up her dress revealing a soft yellow lace thong. "You get to watch." Lauren's eyes drooped as she focused on Normani's teasing actions.

She leaned forward scooting to the edge of the bed as she watched the dress slide over Normani's waist. Once Normani was sure she had Lauren's undivided attention, she carefully teased the dress over her bare breasts, proudly showing off her latest piercings.

"Oh my god. They look so good." Lauren moaned, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth as she stared at the tiny bars. Normani pulled the dress over head and tossed it to the side. She tousled her fingers through her long wavy black hair, then her fingers traveled down the back of her neck, slowly bringing them to the front of her body, and down towards her chest.

"You said you'd fuck me on this desk, right?" Normani asked seductively, brushing her palms over her nipples, then squeezing them lightly.

Lauren sat with her jaw agape, too aroused to stutter out an answer.

"Right?" Normani asked sharply, causing Lauren to jolt out of her dazed expression.

"Y-yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I said." Lauren sputtered.

Normani laughed, teasing her hands over the sides of her thong, watching Lauren gawk her actions intensely. "What would you have done to me first?"

Lauren sighed deeply, trying to regain her composure. She could hardly continue her role play with the sight of Normani's toned, dark, and voluptuous body.

"Take it off." Lauren commanded softly, rubbing her hands back and forth on her comforter, "I-I would've taken off the thong."

Normani immediately obeyed, smirking again as her thumbs wrapped around the sides of the soft yellow thong, slowly sliding it down.

"Then what?" She asked innocently, stepping out of the piece of lingerie, kicking it to the side.

Lauren sat silently with her mind reeling at experiencing a level of torture that she had never experienced in her sex life. Her center was throbbing for attention and the person who she wanted to alleviate that feeling was more interested in mind games.

"Don't act shy now." Normani warned with a giggle. Lauren chuckled nervously, crossing her legs over each other as she thought of a response.

"I..." She paused to ponder.

"I'd put you on the desk."

"Mmhm." Normani replied, gracefully hopping up onto Lauren's desk, "And?"

"I'd spread your legs."

Normani obliged, a ghost of a smirk on her lips. Lauren's eyebrows rose slowly once Normani exposed her center to her.

"I'm already so wet," Normani moaned, reaching down to toy with her clit, "Who knows how long I'm gonna last?"

"Fuck." Lauren groaned, squeezing her thighs together.

"Then what would you do, baby?" Normani asked, stifling a moan as her middle finger continued to slide up and down her slit.

"That. Just like how you're doing." Lauren enunciated, licking her lips again, following Normani's fingers with her bottle green eyes.

Normani then thrusted her middle finger inside of her and tilted her hand back, hissing in response.

"Lauren." She moaned desperately.

"You're torturing me, Mani." Lauren whined, fidgeting on the bed.

Normani's brought her head back up as her hooded eyes met Lauren's once again. She spread her lips in a mischievous smile, sliding her finger back inside of herself.

"Good." She answered, bringing her free hand up to cup her left breast in her hand, toying with her nipple.

"Is this how you would fuck me?" Normani moaned.

Lauren gasped, squeezing her thighs even tighter than before. Normani brought her middle and ring finger back to her entrance, meeting eyes with Lauren before she continued.

Normani stared at the green eyed woman before thrusting two fingers inside of her. She arched her back and moaned out Lauren's name once more, except much louder than before. Normani ran her tongue over her top lip and began pumping herself earnestly, fueled by the desperation and desire in Lauren's eyes.

Normani took her fingers out and looked at Lauren with her hooded, brown eyes.

"Would you like a taste?"

Lauren's stomach dropped as she jolted up off the bed, leaning forwards with her eyes locked on Normani's glistening fingers, which was stretched out in front of her.

"Don't get too close." Normani reminded, reaching her hand out towards her eager lover. Lauren obliged, leaning slowly towards Normani's hand, keeping her eyes on Normani's. Lauren opened her mouth as Normani's fingers inched closer and closer towards her lips...

"Ladies! Dinner's ready!" A deep voice called from hallway. Instantly Lauren shot away from Normani's hand, grunting a litany of curse words.

"God-fucking-damn it!" Lauren hissed, stomping her foot.

Normani giggled and smiled as she watched the frustrated woman, closing her naked legs.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?!" Lauren whisper-yelled.

"You!" Normani answered hopping off of the desk, "You're cute when you have temper tantrums." She reached for her thong on the side of Lauren's bed.

"Oh shut up." Lauren scoffed staring at Normani's ass while she was bent over.

"Hurry up and go downstairs," Normani commanded, hopping into her thong, "Tell them I'm still freshening up, I'll be down in two."

Lauren rolled her eyes before turning to the door, yanking it open and slamming it behind her angrily.

"Such a tease." Lauren said to herself as she walked down the stairs. Not even the smell of her mother's Cuban cooking could alleviate Lauren's annoyance at being disturbed.

As Lauren hopped down the last set of stairs, she heard a loud discussion from the dining room. Given the volume of the conversation, Lauren was pretty sure that her and Normani's activities hadn't been heard from downstairs.

"We've already laid out your plates, mija." Clara said, taking a seat at the end of their long dining table. Almost the entire center of the table was filled with her mother's signature home cooked meals, still piping hot.

"Thank you so much." Lauren replied sweetly, walking towards the two empty seats at the table. Her family was already seated, sipping on their beverages while they waited for the young woman.

"Ah," Lauren mentioned, taking her seat, "You guys have no idea how much I missed this food. I try to make it up in New York I just could never get it right."

"Where's Normani?" Taylor asked, edging up to the table in her seat.

"She's still freshening up," Lauren stated truthfully, "She'll be down any second now." she looked down at her plate and bit her lip, trying her hardest not to think about what she did in her bedroom. The loud conversations bursted out again as they sat waiting for Normani to join them at the dinner table. It was something Lauren hadn't heard in years and to finally be able to brought a smile to her face.

"Well," Mike piped up in his deep voice, setting down his bottle of beer, "Before we eat-and before Normani comes down to join us, we wanted to talk to you."

"Don't worry, it's not an intervention or anything." Chris joked, chuckling along with Peyton.

"Very funny you two." Lauren added sarcastically with a forced grin.

"All jokes aside...boys." Mike said sternly, taking a deep sigh before he continued, "First and foremost, there's no need to explain yourself...or lie about why you haven't come here in two years."

"Oh." Lauren reached to take a sip of water, avoiding eye contact.

"Normani told us the deal. And to be honest, we have absolutely no idea why you would think that we would ever, ever" he emphasized, "be disappointed in you."

Lauren looked up into her father's eyes, which were already beginning to fill up with tears.

"We understand that you've gone through hard times...who hasn't?!" Mike said with his voice cracking, "W-we just..." he paused to compose himself, "We want to make sure that you know that we are always right behind you."

"I mean, when you were gone...not to be negative here," Chris started, stroking his beard, "But, I have never seen everyone in this room act so...so downtrodden. I-I mean we knew you were okay because we'd see you on TV all the time, you just never came home. Or...you never gave us a reason why you never came home, and that really messed with everyone's heads, Lauren."

"I understand that." Lauren replied softly, "And...a-and I just feel so bad about it."

"You're here now and that's all that matters to us." Clara said, sitting up in her seat, "We have loved and supported you from the day you were born we would never feel the way you thought we did."

"I-I wish I could stress that enough," Mike said, sniffling, "I remember when you were a toddler...a-and how every day after we'd pick you up from daycare you always wanted to sing with me whenever I played on the drums," he chuckled, "That's all you ever wanted to do, and now..." he wiped another tear, "Now you're doing it every single day for thousands of people. You're living out your dream and that is what makes me proud." he paused to keep his voice from cracking, "The money, the chart positions, whatever, it does not matter to everyone in this house, I can guarantee that. Fame, money, all of the bullshit that comes out of that industry can fade, but family is everlasting and we all hope that you understand that."

"I do, dad." Lauren said earnestly, wiping a tear scrolling down her cheek, "I really do."

"We are so proud of how far you've come and we are blessed that you're safe and that you're back with us." Then, Mike reached into his pant pocket, wiping away tears with his other hand, "And knowing that your birthday is coming up, all of us decided to pitch in and give you a little something." He grinned as he slid the small black box across the table.

"We got it right when we found out you were coming." Clara said, "And because we knew you'd be back in LA on your actual birthday."

"What is it?" Lauren asked, looking up to her dad again.

"Open it."

Lauren examined the box once more, blushing slightly.

"Woo, sorry you y'all." An energetic voice rang out, "I was having a hard time trying to find something."

Lauren turned to the voice, setting the black box down in front of her: Normani swayed towards the dining table in the same floral dress from earlier.

"Ooo, this looks absolutely delicious, Mrs. Jauregui." Normani complimented charmingly.

"Ah! What did I say? You can call me Clara now." She warned with a smile. Normani sat down next to Lauren, meeting eyes with the small black box.

"Oh!" Normani mentioned, turning to Lauren's parents, "Is that the-"

"Shh, don't spoil it." Mike said with a grin. Normani nodded as a smile spread upon her lips. She leaned back in her seat and watched on excitedly.

Lauren unlatched the box's metal clasp and slowly pushed it open.

"O-oh my gosh." Lauren gasped, "Is thi-"

"Your old locket? No." Mike said, "But we all bought a new one just for you. Open it up."

Lauren stared at the familiar gold locket, hit with the memories she had with her old one. Her great grandmother had first given it to her when she was only nine years old. Lauren unfortunately lost it during her rebellious pre-teen years, but before then, the locket was her lucky charm. Every time she would sing in front of people, Lauren would stare at the family photo glued inside of the locket and wrap her fingers around it, closing her eyes and praying a small prayer before singing. Lauren hadn't seen it in years but the one in her hands seemed exactly like the one she'd lost.

She then pried her nail into its side and opened the necklace.

"Aw," Lauren gawked, "It's the same picture and everything!"

"Did you read the quote?" Chris asked. Lauren shook her head before moving her eyes onto the other side of the locket, reading the quote engraved in spanish on its back:  _Lo último que siempre queda es la familia_.

"You guys!" Lauren said, choked up with tears, "You're making me cry." Lauren blushed, taking the locket out of its box.

"Happy Birthday Lauren." Clara said, "We don't want you to forget that we love you from the bottom of our hearts."

"And we mean that." Mike added, still wiping away tears. Lauren fanned her eyes, trying her hardest not to burst into tears.

"I told you she'd like it." Normani assured, smiling at Lauren latching the locket onto her neck.

"I love it so so so much, you don't even understand," Lauren said, looking down at the locket which now hung down her chest, "I'm never taking it off again, like ever."

"Oh gosh," Lauren repeated, fanning her eyes again, "I can't believe you guys are making me cry right now," she paused to chuckle nervously, "Thank you. Thank you so much for this, this..." she looked down at the locket again, "This means the world to me."

"You mean the world to us, Lauren." Mike said sincerely.

Lauren leaned back in her chair, carefully shutting the black box and pushing it off to the side. She blushed, still wiping tears off of her brick red cheeks.

"Now enough with the sap, let's eat." Chris jeered, immediately digging into his plate.

"That boy I swear." Lauren said, meeting her little brother's eyes and chuckling along with him. The table slowly returned to its lively conversations, and Lauren finally felt at peace now that she had the opportunity to discuss everything with her family. She didn't even want the night to end. No longer did the idea of being close to family feel like a stressor, in fact she knew she would want to come back and visit longer soon.

Lauren's slid her hand under the table. She placed her hand on top of Normani's which was still on her lap. As their fingers intertwined Normani turned to meet Lauren's tear-filled eyes. Lauren mouthed a sincere 'Thank you', rubbing her pad of her thumb on Normani's hand. Normani smiled back happily. Then, Normani squeezed Lauren's hand softly, grinning again before turning back to her food.

A few months ago, Normani had endeavored to change the direction of her life around and Lauren originally thought she was merely a bystander to that change. But Lauren was beginning to realize Normani just wasn't looking out for herself, she was looking out for her well-being too. Attempting to help Lauren forge a new path in her life and break out of her funk by pushing her outside of her comfort zone little by little, Normani was a lover she had never seen coming. She was callous, cutthroat, a workaholic, a perfectionist, and a tad materialistic, but underneath the hard and polished exterior was someone who did everything in her power for the people she cared about. Lauren was quickly realizing that she had fallen deeply for Normani and it was only a matter of time before she let her true feelings slip. She only prayed that Normani wouldn't break her heart.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The quote means "the only thing that stays is family" btw. Hope you all liked the chapter! I had fun writing it!


	16. Chapter 16

**_"Coming together is a beginning..." -Henry Ford_ **

 

Lauren snapped her head up from her pillow, rubbing her eyes as her ringtone reverberated throughout the bedroom walls. The 22 year-old groaned at the morning sun bursting through the bedroom window, squinting her eyes at her phone screen over the bedside counter. Lauren sighed before unlocking her phone, smiling warmly at its caller ID.

"Hello?" Lauren answered groggily.

"Happy Birthday!" Ally cheered, "How's my birthday girl doing?" 

"G'morning, Ally." Lauren said in an attempt to sound just as cheerful as she was, "I'm doing good, I'm just tired." 

"Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, but it's fine," Lauren peered at the clock on her phone, "I needed to get up anyways to check up on...." She turned to the other side of the bed, raising her eyebrows as she noticed that Normani wasn't there. Lauren leaned a bit off the side of the bed to peek out of the doorway, finally realizing that Normani wasn't even in her apartment. 

"Check up on who?" Ally asked after Lauren trailed off. 

"Oh, check up on Normani but...she's not here for some odd reason." Lauren shook her head.

"Where are you?"  

"LA." Lauren answered, scooting off of the bed.

"No duh, but where are you in LA?" 

"Oh," Lauren pulled down her oversized t-shirt as she walked out of the bedroom, "At Normani's place."

"She has a place?"

"She does now." Lauren replied, looking around the living room, "She got it about a month ago I think, it's small but the woman sure as hell knows how to decorate."

"Of course." Ally said with a chuckle.

"You're still in New York right? Did Peyton make it back okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. We're doing a few gigs together this month too, just so he can get back into the swing of things."

"That's good for him." Lauren sighed as she walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. 

"I heard about what happened down in Miami, how was that?" 

"Oh gosh," Lauren sighed, reaching her hand up to her locket, "It was...amazing. It felt so good to be back home. Shit, they'll probably call any second now." 

"Aw, that's  great, Lauren. I guess that means you're finally getting your life together."

"Bit by bit." Lauren answered in a chuckle, pulling out a carton of eggs.

"Have you been working?"

"Of course! I just have today off...finally." Lauren turned to one of cupboards and grabbed a mixing bowl, waiting for Ally to respond.

"What have you gotten so far?"

"I think this album might be done soon, actually. I don't know what's gotten into me, I've just been on a roll, Ally. I'm talking like 2-3 fully written songs per day, they just won't let me get on the equipment yet but when I do, the process will go by a lot faster."

"Oh really?"

"Yes!" Lauren tilted her head to keep the phone in between her ear and her shoulder, cracking an egg on the edge of the plastic bowl, "Candece and I have even settled on what will most likely be the single but I think we're waiting to announce that a little bit before the VMAs. Of course you will get all the sheet music and shit before then."

"VMA talk already?"

"Yup. Everybody's pushing to get a performance so it'll be perfect to have a follow up while riding the wave of success." 

"Wow." Ally said, "I'm proud of you, Lauren. Honestly. I remember when you couldn't even look at a lyric sheet but look at you now." 

"It's all coming together, Ally."

"Yes it is! And I'm proud of you for keeping it together. You're a talented woman and I'm so glad you're showing that now." 

"Thank you." Lauren replied sweetly, cracking another egg into a bowl, "It means a lot."

"I'm just glad I don't have to yell at you anymore...or at least I’m glad I don’t have to yell as much." 

Lauren laughed, turning to the spice cupboard.

"What are you getting into tonight, birthday girl?"

"I actually don't know." Lauren said, sprinkling pepper over the bowl, "I think Normani's taking me somewhere, and you know how extravagant she is so who knows? It could be a dinner or it could be a mountain hike, I don't know. That girl is so.....unpredictable."

"Well either way, I hope it's a good one."

"Thank you Ally!" 

"I'm proud of you." Ally said sincerely, "Don't forget to tell me how your birthday festivities go!"

"Of course."

"Well..." Ally paused, "unless they're sexual. You can keep those to yourself." 

Lauren scoffed, "I'll be sure to do that."

Ally laughed before adding, "See you soon."

"Alright. Talk to you later." Lauren chuckled before hanging up the phone. 

Now that she was in LA, it seemed everything had fallen into place. She and Normani had been on good terms, and she'd been able to work relentlessly on her new album. Now that she had reunited with her family, she was motivated to do her best to revive her career.

Lauren jolted up from the skillet she was hovering over as she heard the front door unlock and open. She turned to see Normani, clad in workout gear, slide smoothly into the living room.

"Representin' for the bitches, all eyes on your riches!" Normani hollered nodding her head to the beat of the music playing in her earphones. Lauren leaned out of the kitchen, hoping to catch her eye, but Normani continued to dance through the living room, still oblivious to the fact that she was not alone.

"No time for the lil' dicks!"  Normani chanted as she strutted over to the dining area swaying her hips. 

"Um, Normani?" Lauren yelled loudly, hoping the other woman would hear her above the music.

"You see the bigger the dick the bigger the bank the bigger the Benz, the better the chance to get close to his rich friends. I'm goin after th-"

"Mani!" Lauren screamed louder. 

"G-string make his dick stand!" She continued, turning towards the wall away from Lauren. 

Realizing she was going to have to wait until Normani noticed her, she leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms, staring at Normani in amusement. 

Normani set down a grocery bag on her coffee table, still rapping and gyrating to the vulgar song playing from her headphones. 

"Slow head by the nightstand, like lightning!"

Normani twirled past the coffee table, then squatted down to her carpet where she lost footing and plopped onto the ground, causing her headphones to slide back onto her neck. 

Normani began to giggle as she sat up from the ground finally meeting Lauren's eyes.

"I thought you were in the studio today!" Normani said with a gasp. 

"You didn't hear me calling you?!" Lauren asked with a chuckle, "You were just in your own little world over there, huh?"

"When I'm alone I usually am in my own world, or at least when I _ think _ I'm alone." Normani answered with a laugh, standing back up again. She grabbed the grocery bag on the coffee table and started towards the kitchen.

"I like your taste in female rappers, by the way."

"What you know about Trina?!" Normani asked, placing her hand over her heart.

"Well she is from Miami!"

"You of all people..." Normani said after a giggle, walking towards Lauren in front of the stove, "And you're cooking too!" 

"Unfortunately, I only cooked for one." Lauren admitted, turning off the stove, "I thought you were at the studio." 

"Not this early." Normani said, walking closer and closer to Lauren, "And I already ate, so you're fine." 

Normani smiled before meeting lips with Lauren's in a slow, chaste kiss.

"Good morning, birthday girl."

Lauren blushed and turned back to the skillet, emptying the eggs onto a paper plate.

"Thank you, Normani." Lauren replied, slowly licking her lips. 

"How was your workout, babe?" Lauren asked, grabbing a fork from the utensil drawer.

"It was good," Normani answered walking back into the living room, "I just went on a quick run, that's all." 

"I would go with you but I never wake up on time."

"Oh I know," Normani answered, flinging herself onto the couch, "And you're so grumpy when you wake up I don't even wanna mess with you." 

"I'm glad you know!" Lauren said with a smile, sitting down next to Normani. As Lauren began to eat her scrambled eggs, Normani scooted closer to the other woman.

"So, what do you have planned for tonight, birthday girl?"

"You tell me." Lauren said, taking a forkful of eggs into her mouth. 

"Well," Normani started, propping her feet on her coffee table, "I may or may not have reservations for that sushi place you always tell me about."

"Really?!" Lauren asked, "But reservations are nearly impossible to make on Fridays!"

"Well I got them." Normani said with an arrogant smirk, "I hope 9 isn't too late for you." 

"No, no...that's perfect." Lauren said, taking Normani's hand, "Thank you, Mani."

"Anything for you, mama." Normani said, kissing the back of Lauren's hand. 

"I have to go to the studio later today, though." Normani said, reaching up to comb her hands through Lauren's messy hair, "You can meet me there and we'll head out." 

"Perfect," Lauren said, setting down her plate, "What should I wear?"

"Whatever you like." Normani said, "But you know how much I like red on you." She cooed, grazing her thumb on the top of Lauren's ear.

"Do you have anything.... _ else  _ planned?" Lauren asked suggestively.

"Hm," Normani shifted in her seat, "I guess you'll just have to wait to find out." 

"For real?"

"For real." Normani said with a wink. Then she stood up from the couch."Well, I'm going to go shower, I can't be late to the studio like last time." 

"Oh shit," Normani said suddenly, running around the back of the couch to the dining table, reaching into the grocery bag she brought back home with her, "Before I forget. I have something for you." 

She reached into the bag, smiling at Lauren's curious expression, "I felt bad because I won't be here all day so I got you a little something."

"Aww, you didn't have to Mani."

"Well I think I have to." Normani said, tossing a small bundle onto Lauren's lap. 

"Happy Birthday." Normani said, "You'll have a ball with that." 

Lauren slowly removed the rubber band around it, taking out a $50 dollar bill that covered the rest of its contents. 

"Oh shit,” Lauren said in a laugh,  “thank you Mani!" 

"That's not all." Normani said, nodding her head towards the object.

Lauren looked back down at the bundle, bringing it up to her nose.

"You didn't!" Lauren gasped, "Is th-"

"4 grams." Normani replied with a laugh, "I got it for a really good price too.”

“Mani!” Lauren’s voice went down to a hushed whisper, “You ran all that way with weed on you?”

“I mean, it’s riskier to walk all that way with weed on you, plus I do that on the regular when I'm in LA.” Normani said shifted her weight as she stared at Lauren.

“Pick up weed in the morning?”

“No! I run!” Normani corrected. “Today I just had to hook up my birthday girl.”

“You’re amazing, Normani.” Lauren said tossing the bundle in between her hands.

“It’s the least I could do.” Normani replied, smiling as she turned and went into her bedroom.

“Babe?” Lauren called, setting down her gift on the coffee table. 

“Yeah?” Normani answered from the bedroom. 

“When do you have to be at the studio?”

“Thirty minutes.”

“Aww.” Lauren groaned, slumping back into the couch.

“Why?” Normani asked, appearing in the doorway, clutching onto a towel, “You thought you were getting some morning sex or something?”

“Well..I-I wou-”

“Don’t lie!” Normani warned with a laugh.

“Yeah I thought I was.” Lauren answered with a giggle, “I mean..we haven’t in a long time and that shit you pulled in Miami was...hot, but so uncalled for.”   
“It’s not my fault your mom called us downstairs.”

“Oh shut up.” Lauren replied playfully, “I just wanted to you know, do something to you again.”

“Well,” Normani said, “Let’s just say you won’t be the one  _ doing  _ tonight.”

“Oh, for real?” Lauren asked, leaning forwards. 

“I mean unless you want to bu-”  

“No, no, no, y-you’re fine.” Lauren replied excitedly, “I don’t wanna mess up your plan.”

“Mmhm.” Normani replied before shutting the bedroom door. Lauren sighed, leaning back onto the couch. 

 

Before Lauren knew it, Normani was skipping out the door and towards yet another studio session. She had gotten used to the routine ever since they got to LA but on this day, Lauren couldn’t wait until night time rolled around. She was excited for the sushi dinner, but more importantly, there was one thing in particular that Lauren couldn’t wait for: their “festivities”. It had been some time since Normani had decided to stop having sex to focus on herself and because Normani implied she was willing to resume their sex life, Lauren was struggling to control her excitement. Although indulging in Normani’s gift was very tempting, Lauren spent most of the day watching TV and mulling over what outfit she would wear to dinner. She selected her sexiest lingerie and the sexiest red dress she could find in her possession while she was on the phone with her family and friends, who all were wishing her a happy 22nd birthday.  A day full of nothing to do but wait until it was time to meet Normani, she even took the time to straighten her hair, something she was always too lazy to do, despite knowing for a fact that it wouldn’t be straight by the end of the night. 

That evening, while Lauren was trying to find the perfect pair of heels, her phone buzzed against her hip. She pulled it out of the waistband of her volleyball shorts, grinning at a new message from Normani. After unlocking her phone, she giggled at the slightly ambiguous message: a sole smirking emoji. 

_ “Hmmm,”  _ Lauren typed,  _ “I wonder what this could mean.”  _ she added a winking emoticon, before sitting on the foot of her bed, waiting impatiently for a new message. 

_ “You know damn well what it means...”  _ Normani responded.

_ “You can use your words, Mani.”  _

_ “I was thinkin bout you in the booth just now...” _

_ “Thinkin bout me?”  _ Lauren sat up on her bed, biting her lip eagerly.

_ “mmmhmmmmm”  _ Lauren shook her head at Normani adding a row of smirking emojis. 

_ “It made me think about tonight.”  _  Normani added.

_ “What in particular?”  _

_ “fucking you, of course”   _ Lauren’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. 

_ “omg” _ Lauren replied on a whim, “ _ Don’t you have a song to record??????” _

_ “I mean...what else did you think I was thinking about? Sushi is great and all but...damn I’ve missed touching you.” _

_ “I’m gonna put you to work then.”  _  Lauren teased, slowly squeezing her thighs together. 

_ “I’ll take your word for it.”  _ Normani responded quickly,  _ “I just can’t quit thinking about you...especially that time in the car...do you remember that?” _

_ “Oohhh,”  _ Lauren blushed, recounting the memory,  _ “I do.” _

_ “Remember how you came all over my fingers? Can you do that for me tonight, baby?” _

_ “yeah,”  _ Lauren took a deep breath, “ _ but I’d much rather come on your mouth tonight”  _

_ “oh really?”  _

_ “Whatever the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.”  _ Lauren smiled as she added a smirking emoji. 

_ “ask and you shall receive....” _

Lauren sat up on her bed, biting her lip. She sent out a row of question marks, impatiently waiting for Normani to respond. But all of a sudden, she wasn’t. Lauren sat for what felt like hours with her eyes glued onto her phone screen. 

Lauren grunted as she shoved her phone back into the waistband of her shorts, completely flustered from her and Normani’s interaction. She would have to wait for that night to see if she would get what she wanted. 

 

\---

 

Lauren bustled through the recording studio's main office, hoping that her slight tardiness wouldn't piss Normani off. She strutted past the empty receptionist desk, looking for the studio number Normani was in.

She pulled down her short red dress, which was cut deeply in between her breasts and tossed her straight hair to the side. She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the studio door, looking up at the unlit 'recording' sign on top of the doorway.

"It's Lauren." She said quietly, knocking at the studio door.

"Come in." A deep voice rang out. Lauren apprehensively pushed on the handle and stepped inside of the recording space. Normani's audio engineer was sat behind of the control boards, twiddling a pencil between his fingers, already turned towards the younger woman.

"You came at the perfect time, Lauren." He said matter of factly.

"Huh? What's up?" Lauren asked, peering through the plexiglass, meeting eyes with Normani. Her head was hung low and her arms were crossed: something was wrong.

"I think Normani can explain that for you." The engineer stood up from his office chair, turning to Normani he huffed, "Let me know what you decide, as soon as possible, alright Mani?"

Normani nodded, still keeping her eyes to the ground. Lauren watched as the engineer left the recording space and turned back to Normani with a confused expression plastered upon her face.

"What's his problem?" Lauren asked with a chuckle. But Normani didn't respond, her eyes were still on the ground, avoiding contact with Lauren again. 

"Mani..." Lauren walked towards the booth, pushing on its wooden door, "What's the problem?"

Normani let out a long sigh, taking the studio headphones off of her ears and setting them over the mic. She rubbed her temples, groaning frustratedly.

"Mani, talk to me. What's up?"

Normani turned to Lauren slowly but surely.

"I'm just pissed the fuck off." Normani said, finally looking at Lauren.

"Why?" 

"One, I've been in this booth all fucking day long, recording verse after verse, and it just isn't right!"

"Huh?"

"I'm not trying to throw my engineer under the bus or anything, he's great and talented it's just that I'm not feeling anything he's giving me." She took a deep sigh, "It’s just not what I want."

"Maybe I can help you with the production," Lauren suggested, placing her arms on Normani's shoulders, "I know what you want."

"No." Normani replied, "I can't do that."

"You can't do that? Wh-"

"The last time I let somebody I was fucking touch my music, I ended up in this mess. Damn near twelve hours in a studio may sound fun to you but not when nothing is sounding like it's supposed to be!" Normani sighed, shrugging Lauren's hands off of her shoulders, "The label doesn't want me to push the album back, shit, I don't want to push the album back. That's the last resort and if they go with that, I'm fucked. The album won't even be released in the window we wanted it to be." Normani rubbed her temples again, "We did great with securing all the lyrics I'd written during my time with Niko but the production is a whole new demon, and," she sighed, "We just don't have time. We're running out of time and it's stressing me out because I can't fuck up on my first shot and everyone wants something out of me when I can only give so much. And I-" she paused, resting her hand on her forehead, "and the last thing I wanted from all of this to interfere with my time with you." She began to speak faster and faster getting more frustrated by the sentence, "It's almost 9 o'clock and I'm not even changed. And I didn't want to have such a stressful session on your birthday. It’s your fucking birthday, Lauren and my ass was in this studio all day, singing take after take."

Lauren watched on as Normani sighed deeply, pursing her lips together.

"Normani.." Lauren started, placing her hands on her shoulders, "Listen to me." Normani rested her hand on her forehead again, furrowing her eyebrows with frustration, "I understand that you don't want your work to interfere with your personal life but that doesn't mean you have to hide the problems that come from your work." Normani met eyes with Lauren.

"I mean, how long have you been feeling stressed?"

"Ever since we came here," Normani admitted, "Working out the apartment thing was just the tip of the iceberg."

"Then why didn't you tell me what's up? If anybody knows about this kind of stress, it's me."

"I don't know," Normani groaned, "I just....I just assumed that telling you would lead to that kind of mixture that has caused me so much trouble for the past year." 

"Why? You didn't think I would care or something? I'm not that bastard." 

"I guess. I mean, you've done all of this before. I felt like maybe you'd just assume that these issues only happened to rookies in the industry."

"Well Mani, that's not the case." Lauren hands then went to Normani's waist, "I care for you more than you might think. If I can't help with the process, I sure as hell can help you handle all of this." She paused. "This industry is way too fucking hard for you to not deal with your issues like that. It can ruin you...and I know that from experience. You're way too talented and have too much potential to let this swallow you up." 

Normani kept her eyes on Lauren's, processing what she was hearing.

"I just hate to see you this upset, Mani. So, if it ever gets bad again, I want you to know that you can always, and I mean always, come to me. I can promise you I will listen, and I won’t make you feel like less of a person for having a weak moment."

"Seriously?" Normani asked shyly.

"Yes, seriously." Lauren said, bringing Normani into a tight, heartfelt hug.

"Thank you." Normani whispered into her ear.

_ " _ I'd cry in my typical fashion but I don't want to smear my makeup." Lauren joked. Normani giggled, stepping back from Lauren.

"That means a lot, Lauren. Honestly." Normani said sincerely, "A-and you look very sexy might I add." 

"It's the least I could do." Lauren said with a wink, "And thank you mama." 

After a lengthy pause, Lauren continued, "What was your engineer talking about earlier? About your choice or whatever?"

"Oh," Normani rolled her eyes, "He just said I could either stay and finish up and or go with you but I was so fucking frustrated I couldn't decide."

"Well, sushi can wait, first of all. I don't care if we miss our reservations."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course. I like sushi but not that much. Besides, we can just get some another time." 

"So...." Normani trailed off, "What would you want to do then?"

"Whatever, it's your choice." 

"But you got dressed up all nice and shit." Normani said with a giggle, "We gotta go somewhere."

"No we don't." Lauren chuckled, "You know how easy it is to please me." 

"Mhmm." Normani said, grabbing at the headphones. 

"Just let me know what you decide, alright? We can go if you want to go now. I can sit and wait until you're done, it doesn't matter."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." Lauren turned towards the wooden door, about to exit the booth.

"Well," Normani sighed, "To be honest, I'm ready to get the fuck out of here."

Lauren chuckled lightly, turning back to Normani with another smile.

"Then let's get the fuck out of here." 

"You don't have to tell me twice." Normani said, tossing the headphones back around the mic and zooming behind Lauren out of the studio.

 

\---

 

"Uno, skip, draw four!" Lauren cried out, slamming her cards on the deck "Ha! I win again!"

Normani smacked her teeth before setting down her cards.

"We're at 5 to 2 now, Kordei, how do you feel?"

"I feel like you're not shuffling these shits correctly, that's how I feel." She yanked the deck of cards and began shuffling them for their next game of Uno.

"Plus I'm just letting you win anyways. But if it wasn't your birthday I wouldn't let you get a three game lead."

"Oh hush." Lauren scoffed, taking a lo mein noodle into her mouth, "You're just mad." 

"Sure." Normani replied sarcastically, taking a sip from a wine glass, "But I got your ass this next game, just wait."

After missing their sushi reservations by an hour, Normani and Lauren settled on staying at home for the rest of the night. They ordered Chinese takeout, opened up a cheap bottle of wine, and took out a deck of Uno cards, which, unsurprisingly, was a perfectly acceptable alternative for Lauren.

The pair was seated on Normani's couch, alternating between watching reality show reruns and listening to Normani’s never ending playlist of slow rap and R&B. The vibe of the night had taken a complete 180 in the past hour but thankfully, both of them were perfectly content with it.

"Want me to get you more wine, baby?" Lauren asked, "Before you get your ass whooped  again?"

"Yes please." Normani answered, handing off her glass to Lauren. Normani stood up off the couch to turn off the TV, letting the music blare through the apartment. She set the deck of Uno cards on her coffee table and turned to Lauren, biting her lip.

"Here you go." Lauren said, handing Normani her filled glass.

"Thanks." She replied quietly.

"Did you shuffle the cards?" Lauren asked before stuffing her face with rice.

"No, I'm not done."

"Oh, alrighty." Lauren met eyes with Normani, furrowing her eyebrows, "Are you okay?"

"I-I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"What's up?" Lauren walked back to Normani, "Do you want to play something else?"

"No, no, not that." Normani said with a chuckle. 

After a long pause, she added, "It's something serious, I just don't want you to think I'm extra or anything."

"Aw, I don't think you're extra," Lauren said sweetly, "I know you are."

"Oh shut up." Normani scoffed playfully.

"What did you have to tell me, babe?" 

After another lengthy pause and sigh, Normani started, "I just need to get something off my chest."

"I'm listening." Lauren said, swallowing her rice. 

"Well," she sighed again, "For some reason, being in the booth with you made me think about that whole time period when we'd just met. Remember the night I met you?"

"Really?" Lauren asked, "Why do you want to bring that up? I was a fucking mess." 

"Well, the night I met you, you looked so gorgeous, like tonight, but you were drunk and belligerent, I was fed up."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Just let me finish, I promise it's good." Normani assured, "But, I'd listened to your music before I'd met you, there was so much passion and talent and I just  _ needed _ our collab to work because I knew working with you would be a worthwhile choice. So I worked on it. And when I came to live with you, you were my refuge from the stress of my career. Until then I was pretty alone in New York, which is  _ the _ most awful thing for someone from the south. I was just working and working. Living with you, who needed me as much as I needed you, it felt good, and I've never felt that way with people who aren't in my family. I was hooked on this feeling of a meaningful companionship." Lauren's eyebrows rose as she listened intently to Normani's words.

"You weren't perfect, you're not perfect, but you were honest with me, and unabashedly yourself, which is something that I struggle with. Because truly I didn't know who I was, I only knew what I wanted to be." She paused to set down her wine glass on the coffee table, "The whole Niko situation was a product of that lack of knowledge. And once it became apparent that I was increasingly willing to abandon everything I tried to build for myself, for you, I knew I was in trouble. I always felt that you wanted more from me...and I was afraid to give myself more, I was afraid to give you more, I was lying to myself and I was lying to you and I just wasn't the person you deserved to be so emotionally invested in. So," she paused to take a deep sigh, "when he...put his hands on you at my party, I didn’t intervene because I was trying to let you go. I thought maybe if I didn't fight for you, you'd just give up and let me live in my misery." She chuckled nervously, "I tried to let you get away but every moment that I spent with him felt like a chore. It didn't feel genuine, it was this horrible strain to try to be a woman who didn't care about infidelity and only cared about the benefits. So I tried to do everything I could to right the situation with you, I tried to get Niko out of the picture for you, or so I thought that was my reason. And then when I saw you at the video shoot you were all angry with me, you were judging me, you were just like everyone else I've ever met, and it hurt me so bad that you thought I was a bad person." Lauren continued to listen carefully, recounting every single memory Normani mentioned, "And when you realized your error you welcomed me back like nothing had ever changed. That's when I decided that I had to change  _ everything _ about my approach to relationships." She paused to lick her lips, "It's kinda obvious that I'm attracted to you, but I just wanted to see if there was something more than a spectacular sexual connection, I wanted to see how we would fit into each other's lives. And now that you've been with me almost everyday, and now that you've sacrificed your day, your literal  _ birthday _ to be supportive and comforting to me has kinda given me the answer I've been looking for."

"Your answer?" Lauren sputtered out, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you make me very content and happy when I’m with you, and I would like to ask you, if you w-would be my girlfriend." Lauren gasped and placed her hand over her heart. "I really want you to be mine, exclusively. Because all of this time and reflection has made me realize I am exclusively yours, and I'm okay with it now. In fact, I'm trying to embrace the way you make me feel. So..." She shrugged, looking back at Lauren, "Would you please be my girlfriend?"

"Fucking finally!" Lauren joked, grabbing at Normani's waist and pulling her flush against her body.

"So is that a yes?" Normani asked shyly, wrapping her arms around Lauren's neck. 

"Of course, it's a yes." Lauren replied, leaning forwards and meeting Normani's lips in a passionate kiss.  Lauren's hands immediately went down to Normani's ass, palming it lightly.

“Wait, Lauren,” Normani interjected apprehensively, breaking their kiss. “ I just have to say that I can’t guarantee that I’ll be the perfect girlfriend to you, but I just know that I feel strongly enough not to let you get away from me again.”

“Oh Mani, I’m not perfect, and I don’t think that you have to be.  I have wanted you so badly for so long. To know that you have always felt something for me that you couldn’t explain makes me so, so,  happy. I promise you, the happiness will outweigh any moment of imbalance between us. And for the record, I don’t know that I’ll be the perfect girlfriend either. You treat me like a princess, you try to build me up against all the negativity that life has brought me, and you have my interests at heart. How will I live up to you?” 

Normani smiled with watery eyes. “Well then, it’s on us, how this relationship goes. I’m highkey excited.” Lauren smiled and went back to kissing Normani passionately again, her hands roaming all over her body.

"So I'm assuming you don't want to play another round of Uno?" Normani asked playfully, breaking the kiss. 

Lauren chuckled before replying, "That can wait." in her raspy voice. “I got something you can play with for a few rounds though if that will make you feel better.”

“Well, since we’re playing  _ that  _ game now, come on, get up.” She stood up and reached out her hand for Lauren to grab. When Lauren stood, she led her into her bedroom. Once they reached the middle of the floor, Normani let go of Lauren's hand and strutted to her bedside. Normani turned on a dimly-lit lamp, looking back at Lauren with a mischievous grin. She then strutted to the foot of the bed and sat down slowly, staring into Lauren's hooded green eyes.

“That red dress is so sexy on you Lauren.  Hugs you in all the right places." She sighed, "Unfortunately, it’s in my way. So take it off, please.” 

Lauren smirked at Normani’s sweet talk, knowing that once she took of her dress she would send her girlfriend into a frenzy. She pulled the dress up over her head and threw it to the side walking up to stand in between Normani’s legs. She tossed her straight hair behind her shoulder, smirking at Normani's flustered reaction. 

“Oh fuck, baby." Normani groaned, stroking her hand up and down her baggy pair of sweatpants "Sheer bra and panties?” She reached her hands up, running them up over Lauren’s smooth sides until she reached her breasts. Lauren let out a quiet moan once Normani cupped them in her hands, running her thumbs over Lauren’s nipples until they they stood up and strained through the sheer bra. Lauren whimpered slightly at the sensation, watching Normani explore her body. 

“Turn around, Lauren. Let me see that beautiful ass of yours.” Lauren obeyed, feeling herself grow more and more aroused with every command and touch. Normani groaned when she saw Lauren’s ass, nearly naked in a g-string. She quickly smacked a cheek, biting her lip as she watched it bounce in fascination. She then gave it a light squeeze before moving her hands up Lauren’s back, unfastening Lauren’s bra and sliding it off her body. She then roughly pulled Lauren into her, so that she was seated on her lap and her back was leaned against her chest. Grabbing both breasts in her hands and squeezing her nipples lightly, she began licking and biting at Lauren’s neck. 

"God, Mani." Lauren moaned out letting her head fall back onto Normani's shoulder.

Normani kissed her way up Lauren’s neck and Lauren turned to meet her lips with a kiss that  immediately deepened.

Normani let go of one of Lauren’s breasts, and slowly slid her free hand down to Lauren’s panties, teasingly dipping below the waistband. Lauren bucked her hips in an attempt to get Normani’s hand where she wanted. 

"Mani." Lauren whined, in between kisses, still gyrating her hips, "Please." 

Normani finally decided to stop teasing her lover and slid her hand down, coating her fingers  in the abundant wetness before moving her hand back up and circling Lauren's clit.

Breaking the kiss, Normani whispered in Lauren’s ear, "Remember the first time I fucked you? You were on my lap like this, moaning and dripping, so fucking sexy and desperate. But it's your birthday tonight, it's only right that I treat you with the utmost care."

Lauren's eyebrows rose in curiosity as she shifted in Normani's lap. Normani's slowly took her hand from Lauren's panties, rolling her tongue over her lips. 

"Would you like a taste?"

Lauren turned to meet eyes with Normani, her lips swollen and her green eyes glossed over. She nodded urgently and whimpered a desperate "Mhm." before Normani brought her fingers up to Lauren's lips. Quickly, Lauren took them into her mouth, closing her eyes and moaning as she tasted herself. Right when her tongue swirled in between them, Normani removed her fingers from her mouth, biting her lip.

"Get up." Normani commanded suddenly.

"Hm?" Lauren questioned in a desperate moan.

"Get up. Get on all fours." Normani said sternly. Lauren shuddered at her words as she stood up off of Normani's lap.

"The thong gotta go too, baby." Normani stated matter-of-factly, grabbing harshly at her ass.

Lauren groaned as she quickly shimmied out of her panties. She tossed them to the side then crawled on the bed, tossing her hair back over her shoulder and looking back at her girlfriend, slightly waving her ass back in forth in a teasing manner. Normani pulled her t-shirt over her wavy hair, still biting her lip.

"Shit." Normani crawled on the bed behind Lauren reaching her hands out and squeezing Lauren’s cheeks watching in fascination as the flesh moved pliantly beneath her hands. She gave it another hard spank, eliciting a sharp moan from Lauren, before she moved her hands up Lauren’s smooth, pale back.  Her lips followed as she slowly kissed and licked her way up her spine, and when her lips reached the nape of her neck, Normani let a bit of her weight rest on Lauren, pressing her naked chest against her back. Normani's left hand ran through Lauren's hair as her right hand snaked back down Lauren’s side, ghosting over her ass until she got to Lauren’s slit. She dipped her finger in, reveling in the wetness. 

"You're soaked, mama." Normani whispered huskily in Lauren’s ear, lightly pulling at her hair.

"Please, Mani. I've waited s-s-so long." Lauren pleaded hoarsely, winding her hips. 

"Please what?" Normani asked with a smirk, playing with Lauren’s clit. 

"Please fuck me!" Lauren whimpered out. 

Normani slapped Lauren’s clit lightly, pulling a little tighter on Lauren’s hair. 

"Well I mean you could come from this kind of stimulation alone..... tell me what you want me to do. Use your words, baby."

"Mmm, I-I want-t..." Lauren moaned rolling her hips in an attempt to force Normani's hand to move. 

Normani slapped her clit again, yanking Lauren’s hair. 

"Ay dios mío." Lauren groaned as Normani's fingers moved down, circling at her entrance. 

"Is this what you want Lauren?" Normani asked teasingly leaning back to sit on her knees. 

"Please, put your fingers inside of me and fuck me,  _ please. _ I'm going crazy. _ "  _  Lauren finally whimpered out desperately. 

Figuring she'd teased Lauren enough, she let her middle finger slide in slowly letting Lauren adjust. Then she began pumping her finger at a steady place and Lauren began moaning lowly at the feeling of being filled. Normani leaned down to plant kisses at the small of Lauren's back.

"Give me more." Lauren snapped, "I can take more than that." 

"Okay damn," Normani said, "I've gotten you more worked up than I thought." Normani said, slightly chuckling to herself. Then she added a second finger, staring intensely at the way Lauren's flesh accommodated her fingers so well. She let go of Lauren’s long hair, and moved her hand to Lauren’s ass squeezing it, watching as her fingers slid in and out of Lauren with ease. The younger woman rambled loudly in Spanish, winding her hips, begging for more. 

"Is that how I know I'm doing it right?" Normani asked innocently, "If I make you speak Spanish?"

She spanked her hand sharply against Lauren's ass, biting her tongue in a cocky grin.

"Oh my god, yes." Lauren groaned, rolling her hips to meet Normani's fingers with each thrust.

Normani then pressed her fingers down inside of Lauren, stroking fervently at the swollen patch of flesh inside of her. Lauren moaned again in Spanish, even louder than last time.

"Shhh, shhh," Normani hushed, softly patting Lauren's ass, "I don't know how thin these walls are." Lauren began to whimper desperately at the new sensation, biting her lip. Normani slid her hand from Lauren's ass to the small in her back, biting her lip as she continued to watch Lauren roll her hips into her fingers.

"Arch." Normani commanded, pressing softly on the small of Lauren's back. Lauren quickly obeyed, putting her weight in her elbows, stifling in a loud moan from the new sensations.

"Is that the spot?" Normani asked.

"Fuck, yes." Lauren hissed through her teeth, "I t-think I'm close."

Normani grinned as she felt Lauren fluttering around her fingers, she could feel Lauren's release approaching.  She rolled her hips with every thrust of her hand, aroused by watching Lauren slowly fall apart. Figuring she needed something extra, she moved her hand down, giving Lauren a few quick slaps to her clit.

"Oh god," Lauren moaned out, sharply arching her back, "I'm coming." 

Lauren tightened around Normani's fingers  as she continued to whine and whimper. Normani then reached up and bit at Lauren's shoulder, knowing that the roughness would drive her over the edge. 

Lauren cried out Normani's name as she came suddenly, leaking down Normani's fingers. She let her arms collapse and her face fall into the sheets of the bed, her ass still high in the air as Normani slowly stopped moving her fingers. 

Taking her fingers out, more cum leaked out, and Normani smirked smugly. But in spite of Lauren's clearly intense orgasam, Normani still felt her work wasn't done. 

Flipping onto her back, she slid herself between Lauren’s thighs. 

Lauren had just calmed down enough to speak when she felt Normani's tongue licking and biting at her thighs.

"Mani, what are you doing?" She asked breathily feeling Normani's tongue get closer to her folds. 

"You're legs aren't shaking, I'm not done. You're not gonna pass up the opportunity to ride my face are you?"

"Of cou-" Lauren's smart response was cut off as Normani slid her tongue up Lauren's slit, gently sucking on her clit.

"Shit!" Lauren cried suddenly, harshly arching her back and sitting up straight. Normani smirked, staring up at Lauren as she let her tongue collect the wetness from Lauren’s previous orgasam. 

Lauren put her hand on top of Normani's head to balance herself as she began to roll her hips in response to Normani's tongue. 

Deciding she wanted to make Lauren come quickly, Normani slid her tongue back down, circling her tongue around Lauren’s entrance.

Lauren, already sensitive from her first orgasam, rolled her hips frantically on Normani's tongue, driving herself into a frenzy. 

"Unnnff, I'm gonna come again." Lauren cried out as she felt the tightness in her stomach build. 

Normani moved her hands to Lauren's ass squeezing and massaging her cheeks. Suddenly, Normani pushed her head back towards the bed, detaching her lips from Lauren's center.

"Not so fast." Normani husked, kissing and biting at Lauren's thigh.

"Fuck you, Normani." Lauren groaned desperately. She reached for Normani's head and tried to get it back where she needed it.

The older woman giggled at Lauren's despair, biting her lip.

"So f-fucking evil." Lauren whined, trying to move Normani's head with her hand. But once Normani could sense Lauren's frustration, she brought her full lips back to her clit.

"Oh my god," Lauren moaned out, "Fuck you for that." 

Normani smirked on Lauren's center, spanking her ass again. Normani continued to lap her tongue around Lauren's clit, already seeing the signs that her release was approaching once again. With one more harsh spank to her ass, Lauren came with a low groan, seeping out onto Normani's tongue. Knowing she was sensitive, Normani slowed her pace to gentle, slow licks as Lauren came down. 

"M-my legs are shaking now," Lauren said hoarsely, "a-are you happy, baby? I-I can hardly speak." 

Sliding from underneath her, Normani turned around helping Lauren lay down on her back, rubbing her quivering thighs as she leaned up to kiss Lauren sweetly. 

"Yes, I'm happy. You make me happy. And I've missed making you come." Normani said, licking her lips, "And you taste so good by the way. You're going to have to block me from eating your pussy every night." Lauren giggled as she entwined her fingers around the ends of Normani's  hair, "But for now go to sleep. You're exhausted. It's been a long, emotional day. Goodnight baby." 

After another sweet kiss, Normani stood up off the bed, walking away. 

"W-wait, where are you going? I didn't even get to touch you yet." 

"I'm going right here to the dresser. Don't worry about getting me off, there will plenty more days for that since you're stuck with me now." Normani chuckled as she took off her pants and put on a big t-shirt. Then she walked back to the bed, getting in and laying on her side facing Lauren. Lauren quickly closed the gap hooking her leg over Normani's thigh and pushing her face into Normani's neck. 

"Thank you for making this birthday the best one I've ever had, Mani." 

"I.....I'm glad I could do that for you, mama," Normani said, "Goodnight."

"Night." Lauren replied softly. 

She kissed Lauren's now-messy hair, and let her eyes close, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.  


	17. Chapter 17

**“Keeping together is progress...” -Henry Ford**

 

“But Sean only gave us ten minutes.” Normani said, bursting into the empty dressing room.

“You know that’s more than enough time." Lauren admitted, slamming the dressing room door behind her. 

"You think?" 

"I know." Lauren replied, turning to her girlfriend, "Now, pucker up.”

Normani obliged, wrapping her hands around Lauren's neck and meeting her lips in a searing kiss. Lauren moaned quietly against Normani's lips, immediately sliding her hands along her waist. 

"You just couldn't take it anymore, could you?" Normani asked in a hushed breath. 

"Not at all." Lauren groaned before kissing down Normani's neck. She bit along her salty skin, swirling her tongue along it in urgent strokes. Lauren pushed Normani into the side of the makeup counter, harshly grabbing at her ass.

"What did you expect me to do then, hm?" Lauren asked breathily, "I had to stand there and watch you dance like that for an entire hour," she looked up at the darker woman, "I wanted you right then."

"Well you're gonna have to learn how to get a grip on that." Normani replied with a smirk, tapping at Lauren's chest, “But in the meantime..." 

Normani pulled at Lauren's shirt, fervently crashing their lips together.

Normani grunted lightly as she pushed herself further back atop of the makeup counter, resting her hands on Lauren's shoulders as she continued to moan against her lips. Lauren's hands slid over Normani's thighs as she tossed her hair to the side, gliding her tongue over her lip. Normani pulled Lauren in closer to her body, slowly beginning to grind her center against Lauren’s belly. The Latina gasped in response, only to giggle with Normani immediately afterwards. Lauren then broke apart their kiss, letting out a throaty groan. 

"If you keep fucking around and teasing me, you’re not going to get this cookie." Normani said menacingly, a slow whine of frustration escaping her mouth as she, she swiftly wrapped her legs around Lauren's waist, pulling her even closer to her body. Lauren moaned again in response, pulling her lip in between her teeth. 

"Now. Are you gonna get me off, or were you just talking shit?" Normani asked.

“Chill mama, I got you.” Lauren replied before nipping at Normani’s neck. Normani ran her fingers through Lauren's hair, sighing at the feeling of Lauren’s tongue swirling around her skin. The Latina’s hand trailed up Normani’s inner thigh, smiling at the sound of her breath speeding up. Lauren grazed her hand over Normani’s center, only to slide back against her inner thigh.

“ _ Fuck.”  _ Normani let out in a desperate groan, “Lauren we don't have time for teasing.”

Lauren swiftly obeyed, resting her fingers on the inside of Normani’s waistband. The older woman’s grip around Lauren's waist tightened once Lauren brought her hand back to where Normani wanted it most. 

Lauren leaned forward and slid her hand into Normani’s shorts, still staring lustily up at her girlfriend while sucking on her neck. Lauren’s hand trailed over the thin material of Normani’s panties and pressed her middle finger down slightly onto her slit. 

“Lauren” Normani hissed in response, tightening her grip on Lauren's hair, “More.” 

Lauren obliged, bringing her hand back up to the band of Normani’s panties. She paused to look up at her girlfriend, reveling in how her hooded brown eyes yearned for her touch. Lauren then slid her hand over Normani’s slit, causing her to breathe sharply through her teeth. 

“Right there.” Normani encouraged, grabbing onto the sleeve of Lauren’s baggy t-shirt. Lauren continue to rub with just enough pressure to almost drive Normani over the edge, but she was determined to use every minute of the time they had together. Lauren then brought her fingers to circle around Normani’s clit, causing her grip around Lauren’s waist to tighten. The Latina kissed up her girlfriend’s neck, biting it softly along the way to her jaw. 

“Kiss me, baby.” Lauren commanded. Normani pushed her hand on the back of Lauren’s head, smashing their lips together in another urgent kiss. Lauren moaned loudly against her girlfriend’s full lips, gliding her tongue across them as she continued to circle around Normani’s clit. Lauren softly stroked Normani’s thigh with her free hand, marveling in the wetness that quickly coated her fingers. 

“God, you're so wet.” Lauren drawled in contentment. 

“J-j-” Normani sputtered out, “Just for you.” 

Lauren sped up her fingers as she watched her girlfriend tilt her head backwards, moaning her name in hushed whispers. 

“I-inside,” Normani ordered, “And don't you dare fucking tease me this time.” 

“Okay, bossy.” Lauren replied with a giggle, answering to Normani’s order by thrusting two of her fingers inside of her. Normani arched her back, moaning out Lauren’s name even louder than before. Lauren grinned at her response, biting her lip as she continued pumping her fingers inside of her girlfriend, deliberately working her into a frenzy. She leaned forwards and pressed her lips to Normani’s ear, whispering sharply, “I want you to come on my fingers so fucking bad.”

Normani moaned in response, her vaginal muscles contracting tightly around Lauren’s fingers. Lauren squeezed her thighs together, shaking with arousal as she continued to drive Normani closer to the edge. 

“Babe,” Normani groaned desperately, “Babe I’m- _ fuck.” _ Lauren bit her lip harder, driving her fingers into her girlfriend even faster. 

“You're what?” Lauren asked innocently, bringing her thumb up to rub softly at Normani’s clit. 

“Mm,” she moaned in response, “Keep doing that.” Normani arched her back, bringing herself closer to Lauren. Her rushed breaths filled the locked dressing room as she fisted her fingers through Lauren’s soft hair. Lauren brought her lips back to Normani’s neck, knowing it would drive her crazy.

“Fuck!” Normani moaned. She breathed heavily through her teeth, bringing her hand to Lauren’s forearm, urging her to keep going. 

“God you're so wet,” Lauren marveled, tightening her grip on Normani’s thigh. 

“Lauren,” Normani moaned, “I’m....” She paused to breath through her teeth, “ _ Fuck _ \- I'm g-”

“What?” Lauren asked softly, feeling Normani flutter around her fingers. 

“Lauren, I'm gonna c-come.” Normani groaned, tightening her grip on Lauren’s forearm. 

Lauren rolled her thumb over Normani’s clit, pressing her fingers into the swollen patch inside of her walls knowing that it would push Normani over the edge.

“Come for me, Mani.” Lauren rasped, sliding her fingers repeatedly over that spot. Figuring she needed something extra, Lauren nipped harshly at Normani’s neck, pumping faster into her. Normani tightening her legs around Lauren’s waist, moaning her name over and over.

“Oh shit, I'm g-gonna come.” Normani tightened around Lauren’s fingers, shutting her eyes and whimpering as her release began to wash over her.

“Shit, Lauren!” Normani cried out, grabbing tightly at Lauren's hair and her forearm. She leaked down Lauren’s fingers, writhing on top of the makeup counter as hoarsely moaned out. 

“Damn, Mani.” Lauren moaned as she watched Normani shiver in front of her. 

“God, it feels so good.” Normani whispered under her breath, shuddering violently against Lauren's body. Lauren slowed her fingers to a stop, swiping her tongue across her bottom lip in arousal. Normani sighed calmly, grazing her hand  through Lauren’s hair. 

“How much time do we have left?” Normani asked breathily, still trembling through the aftershocks of her own climax. 

“To be honest,” Lauren answered, sliding her hand out of Normani’s shorts, “I have no idea.”

“If we’re late, I’m gonna kill you.” Normani rested her hands on Lauren’s shoulders, watching her girlfriend smirk knowingly at her.

“You’ll be alright,” Lauren assured, “I’m sure dressing room sex will be a good excuse.”

“Oh shut up.” Normani scoffed with a playful grin.

“Make me.”

Normani’s eyebrows arched in surprise, taken by Lauren’s quick comment. Lauren tilted her head cockily, biting her lip,

“Fine.” Normani said. So, she leaned forward to press her lips onto Lauren’s in a quick kiss. Normani immediately glided her tongue across her girlfriend’s lip, moaning softly against them.  But right before it could deepen, Lauren pulled away, bringing her bottom lip in between her teeth.

“Look, I really don’t want Sean to yell at us.”

“You’re right.” Normani replied in a sigh, unwrapping her legs around Lauren’s waist. Lauren backed away from Normani, resting her clean hand on her hip. 

“And you’re gonna get payback for that when we get home.” Normani said, hopping down the makeup counter. She stumbled as she hit the ground, her still-weak legs wobbling from the sudden force. She hobbled over to a box of tissues quickly making sure she cleaned herself up.

“Shit, watch out there, you’re like a teeter-totter.” Lauren swore, laughing childishly.

“Anyways,” Normani interjected Lauren’s laughter quickly, “you better pray that these walls are thick.” Normani said, stretching out her arms. Lauren turned towards the door, stopping immediately after Normani commanded, “And wash your hands babe, we’ve got hands to shake.”

She strutted past Lauren, reaching for the lock on the dressing room door, “Nasty ass.”

Lauren chuckled nervously as she walked towards the bathroom attached to the dressing room.  

“Don’t forget,” Normani reminded, stepping outside of the dressing room “We’re starting from my segment.”   
“Alright,” Lauren answered from the bathroom, “Gotcha.”

Normani nodded her head before stepping out of the dressing room and into the hallway of the rehearsal space, hoping to herself that nobody heard their risky encounter. She ran her fingers through her hair as she strided into the studio, clad with beaming smile.

“Right on time!” Sean cheered, taking his eyes off of his phone to greet Normani. The choreographer motioned for Normani’s backup dancers to go back to the center of the dance studio, double checking their formation before turning back to Normani.

“Where’s Lauren?” He asked, walking towards her. 

“In the bathroom.” Normani answered quickly, “She’s just w-”

“I’m here,” Lauren answered, flicking water off of her hands, “Right on time.”

“Good.” Sean answered with a pleased smile, “We’re starting with the last few counts of Normani’s segment. Then we’ll work on the transition.”   
“Alright,” Lauren said, reaching for an unopened bottle of water on the ground, “Sounds good.”

“You should probably go over the ad-lib choreography, I want it tighter. Especially the leg work.”

“Ok,” Lauren answered with a sharp nod, twisting open the bottle of water “I can do that.” Lauren strided to the corner of the studio, rethinking the steps in her head over and over. 

“Perfect,” Sean then turned to Normani, who was stretching out her legs, “Ladies, let’s start from the bridge.”

Normani nodded, jogging to her starting position, only to be stopped by Sean patting his hand on her shoulder.

“Hey Mani?” Sean asked quietly, leaning in slightly to Normani.

“Yeah?” Normani answered nervously.

“If you and your girlfriend want to have sex on break, at least be a little quieter next time.”

“Aww fuck.” Normani breathed out, “Who heard?” she asked in a frantic whisper.

“Just me....I hope.” Sean winked at Normani, who ran her fingers through her hair nervously. 

“Now get your nasty ass to your position,” Sean joked, “We only have two more hours left, alright?”

“Alright.” Normani said, shaking her head slowly as she turned to her backup dancers who were already in formation. 

The past few weeks for Normani and Lauren had been huge. Almost every other day, interviewers would ask the pair how it felt to dominate the radio stations (because Hands On Me had skyrocketed up the charts) but most often, they were asked how they felt about their being given an opening performance at the Video Music Awards: the biggest award show of the summer. To make the deal even sweeter, both of them had nominations under their belts: Hands on Me for Best Collaboration as well as Watch n’ Learn, Normani’s summer smash, for Artist to Watch. The endless promotion had paid off well and now they were finally given the opportunity to show the whole world what they are capable of.  They endured all of the early call times, intense workout sessions, and tight performance schedules and finally, the public was acknowledging all of their work , and it felt amazing. 

But in spite all of the praise and admiration, Normani and Lauren still had to work their asses off. Letting a new artist join a comeback artist to  **open** the VMAs was almost unheard of. They were truly honored to be given a spot and consequently, they both agreed on the fact that they wanted their performance to put them both on the map. Not everyone had heard of them before and they recognized that the design and production had to be twelve times more spectacular than any of their normal performances. They joined both of their teams together in an attempt to create a performance that would be remembered for years to come.

The performance itself would have three segments: Lauren would start the program with a revamped version of the song that sparked her stardom, Waiting Game. Then, Normani would perform the song she's nominated for, Watch n’ Learn on the other side of the stage. Finally, they'd combine at the end for a high-energy performance of Hands On Me. It sounded simple in theory but coordinating three different performances was extremely complex. Every hour, someone was calling Normani or Lauren to share costume design ideas, remind them about joint vocal rehearsals, individual vocal rehearsals, or to coordinate meetings between the two teams. Especially combined with their separate projects, this performance made their lives much busier and more tiring than it already was. But, both women were hyper-aware of the fact that if everything came together like they were planning, they were going to set the tone for the rest of their careers.

  
  


_ ‘Y’all are KILLING it! Keep this up and the show will be one to remember :) I'll see you two on Monday for dress rehearsals-Sean’ _

 

“Sean is such a sweetie.” Lauren said with a smile, rereading the text message the choreographer sent to Normani. She leaned back on the couch in her and her girlfriend’s LA apartment, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.

“Right?” Normani said, tucking her phone back into the pocket of her joggers, “But only when you're doing things right.”

“That's for sure.” Lauren sighed, taking a sip from her wine glass. 

“How many of those have you had tonight, baby?” Normani asked, plopping down on the couch next to her.

“One.” Lauren answered matter of factly.

“So, I'm assuming we’re not going out tonight?” 

“What makes you think that?” 

“You're drinking wine on a Friday night...just like the suburban mom you really are.”

“Oh shut up.” Lauren scoffed, “I'm just not really feeling going out tonight. Too many paparazzi and too many industry dudes trying to rub shoulders with you. It's just annoying.” Lauren took another sip of her wine, “Especially when that's all we’re going to do for like a week before and after the VMAs.” 

“Hm.” Normani hummed, flipping the channel on their television.

“Why? Were you trying to to go out tonight?”

“No.” Normani said, resting her head on Lauren’s shoulder, “I'd much rather wanna stay here with you anyways.” Normani then rested her hand on Lauren’s thigh before she added, “It'll be good to have some peace while we can.”

“Exactly. Especially if we win.”

“You mean WHEN we win.”

Lauren turned to Normani with a wide smile, “Aww, you're so optimistic, Mani.”

“And you're not?” Normani asked, “You don't think we’re gonna win?”

“I mean,” Lauren shrugged, taking a sip of her wine, “We have a chance.”

“We have the biggest chance in the category, I know.” Normani answered confidently.

“You know?” Lauren asked, arching her eyebrows, “How?”

“We actually work.” Normani said, “We’ve worked harder than everyone in the Best Collab category, Lauren. Almost all of the nominees are mediocre as fuck.”

“Normani, do-”

“I'm not trying to be cocky here, I'm just stating facts.” Normani then propped her feet up next to Lauren’s,  “All they do is have their ghostwriter pull a catchy chorus out of their fucking ass and call as many famous people as they can to pop up in their video. It works, yeah but it's just a bullshit ploy.” Lauren watched her girlfriend seriously as Normani continued to rant, “Nobody has seen something like Hands On Me in about a decade maybe.The industry needs something like us.” Normani sighed, “So, I genuinely think we have Best Collab in the bag.” 

“Well I can’t deny that. You're damn right about that.” Lauren said, finishing off her glass of wine. 

“We made the song literally from scratch. Very few people in this industry can say that, isn't that amazing? I feel like that's what sets us apart. We have a lot of say you know?”

“Exactly.”

“You want me to get some more of that for you, baby?” Normani asked pointing at the empty glass Lauren held in her hand.

“Oh, yes please.” Lauren answered softly as Normani stood up from the couch, took the glass into her hands, and strutted back to the kitchen. 

“As long as we’re in their favor, we got it. Even for your Artist to Watch  nomination.”

“Yup.” Normani said, pouring Lauren some more wine.

“And given that we’re opening it’s kind of obvious we are in their favor.”

“Exactly, and the performance is going to be fucking amazing I feel it.” Normani walked back into their living room, handing off a full glass to her girlfriend.

“Thanks, Mani.”

“Mhm.” Normani sat back down on the couch and put her head back on Lauren’s shoulder, “You know what we should do when we win?”

“You and this when stuff Mani, I swear.”

“It's not me being arrogant it's me being-”

“Reasonable?”

“Yes. Exactly.” Normani giggled.

“What should we do when we win?” 

“We should take our teams somewhere for a week. Like an island or something to celebrate.”

“That sounds nice.” Lauren responded in a sigh, “Do you think we can plan that out that quickly?”

“Of course! I talked to Candece and Matt about it, they said they have a few resort connections.” 

“Where?”

“A few places in the Caribbean, Costa Rica I think, and a couple more but I forgot.” 

“Well who all would go?” Lauren asked, stretching her arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“You and me of course, Candece and Matt too because without them, the single and video wouldn't have been released.”

“Right!” Lauren chuckled.

“Maybe Ally if she isn't busy, or my assistant as well...then maybe-”

“Assistant? You've hired them already?”

“Yeah! She's been working like crazy to make sure everything with the performance runs smoothly. She's good, I'm telling you.”

“Aw, I wanna meet her.”

“You probably will sooner or later. But Dinah’s always running around the city organizing things for me.”

“Dinah’s her name?”

“Mhm, she's doing such a good job too. I'm glad I hired her.” 

“So she does deserve a slot in the vacation group?”

“Hell yeah!” Normani exclaimed, resting her hand on Lauren’s thigh,  “I should probably look for a new bikini.”

“Well Mani, we’re gonna have to win first.” 

Normani sighed, looking up at Lauren’s bottle green eyes, “Yeah you're right.” 

Lauren looked down at Normani, who still rested her head on her shoulder. 

“I'm so glad I stayed in tonight.” Normani sighed.

“I'm glad you stayed too.” Lauren then pressed her lips on her girlfriend’s forehead in a soft kiss, “And this is as peaceful as it's gonna get for a while too.”

“You can say that again.” Normani replied as she snuggled closer into Lauren’s side. 

Lauren was right: this was going to be one of the very few peaceful moments that they’d spend together for the next few weeks. They both enjoyed working together but absolutely nothing could beat them relaxing at their home, because they made their apartment into their place to just be themselves and be together. A luxury they had both been deprived of for too long.

\---

 

“Part time love is the life ‘round here. We’re never done.” Lauren sang delicately into the mic, shutting her eyes to escape Ally’s concerning glare on the other side of the recording studio. But before she could finish the phrase, Ally yelled “Cut it.” over the mic, stopping the instrumental. She leaned back in the office chair and crossed her arms exasperatedly. Lauren slowly opened her eyes, red in the cheeks from frustration. 

“I know you can do better than that, Lauren.” Ally said, hopping out of her seat.

Lauren groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. As she pulled up her loose t-shirt to wipe the sweat off her forehead, Ally opened the door to the booth.

“What's the deal, Lauren?” She asked sternly, “Are you stressed? Like what's up?”

“No, I'm not it's just.” Lauren sighed again, “Ugh, I just don't know what's wrong.”

“I'll tell you what's wrong, Lauren. You're not  _ connecting _ . I've heard the demo to this song and it was spectacular because you felt it and I'm not getting that from you here.”

Lauren looked down at the floor, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her distressed jeans. 

“If you want we can try to remaster the demo and put that on the albu-”

“No,” Lauren protested, “I can do this.”

“We've been trying to get this line out for almost an hour now. And there's only five lines in the entire song.” Ally placed her hand on Lauren’s shoulder, “Tell me what's up, I can help you I promise.” The studio fell to a deafening silence as Lauren brought her head up, meeting Ally’s eyes.

“You're right.” Lauren said, stepping back away from her musical director, “I'm not connecting to it because I'm not feeling it.” She sighed, “I wrote the song back in June...after all that bullshit happened at-”

“Normani’s birthday?”

“Mhm. It was a certain feeling that I couldn't escape, it's so hard to explain. I was obviously pissed as fuck but I don't know, you don't really get “pissed as fuck” from this song you know?”

Ally nodded in response, “Life Round Here is like very eerie and...and melancholic, and I wrote it and recorded the demo when I was in a place like that, but now I'm not. I'm in a completely different place now. A good place.”

Lauren had written Life Round Here on a long car ride to the music video shoot for ‘Hands on Me’. She had been filled with a feeling that took her weeks to identify. She was angry because of Normani’s lies. She was anxious because she still had to work with her, and most importantly, she was just plain defeated because everything she and Normani had seemingly built up over those prior months had been destroyed.The song was her agony over the situation as simply put as she could bear to write it at that moment. She sang eerily, broken yet undeniably passionate vocals on the demo, and it sent chills down the spines of those who listened. But now, during the final recording sessions for the song, Lauren couldn't sing with the vulnerable nuances she had in the demo. She was singing well but she wasn't feeling, which made her frustrated. 

She had obviously fixed all of the issues between her and Normani, she was finishing up her sophomore album, and in just a couple of weeks, she would be opening the VMAs with her girlfriend. The layers of date nights, successful rehearsals, and mind-blowing sex clouded all of the feelings she felt when she has first started writing the lyrics down, and it made her tense with frustration. 

“C’mon, talk to me about it.” Ally said, “What does this song mean to you? What is it about?”

Lauren sighed, running her fingers through her hair, “I mean, I just...I just don't wanna...”

“Want to what?”

“I just don't wanna dwell on what it means because like,” she sighed again, “I don't think of Normani like that anymore. I was devastated at the thought that nothing was going to come of our relationship.” 

“Well we’ve established that, it's just a matter of how you draw it into how you're singing now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that you have to do whatever it takes to place yourself in those moments. Every singer doesn't feel the same way about some songs from their debut album by the time they’re established, it's common. But what they do about it is that they reflect on those emotions to draw from them.  _ That's  _ what you need to do.”

“That sounds difficult.”

“Everything ain't easy.” Ally said sternly, “So take your time and reflect. Do whatever you have to do, and let me know when you're ready then we can record the take. Can you do that for me?”

Lauren pursued her lips, bringing her eyes to the ground.

“Lauren, c’mon there's literally five lines that are repeated for three minutes, you can reflect.”

Lauren sighed, meeting her eyes with Ally’s. She then nodded slowly in response.

“I can do that.”

“Alright,” Ally replied softly, “Take your time.” She turned to the booth door, opening and shutting it softly to give Lauren the silence she needed to reflect. 

Lauren had her eyes closed and her head pointed up towards the ceiling. Her hands were on her waist and her breathing slowed as she rocked side to side, letting the memories flow through her mind. She started from the moment Normani and Niko had kissed in front of her. Then, she remembered the worried look on Normani’s face when Lauren had stormed towards her, screaming at the both of them. Her eyebrows furrowed when she thought about Normani standing still the moments after Niko had hit her and then Lauren’s eyes welled up when she remembered Normani walking back inside with Niko’s arm around her. She had avoided going back to the memory in detail until then, and like clockwork, one by one, the feelings from that night came back. Every ounce of sadness, anxiety, frustration, and anger had filled Lauren once again. But instead of shrugging them off like she always did, she let herself feel them for that moment. She breathed in deeply, still keeping her eyes closed.

“I'm ready.” Lauren said, stepping closer to the studio microphone.

“Alright.” Ally replied, “Here we go.” 

With a click of a button, the beat started again. Lauren exhaled, with her eyes still slammed shut. She began to rock slowly the music, resting her hands on her sides.

_ “Part time love is the life ‘round here. We’re never done.” _  Lauren bobbed her head, listening intently to the background vocals cueing her in.

_ “And we’re at square one. And we wait too long, ‘til we’re at square one.” _

As she repeated the lines, the harder she rocked back in forth, shutting her eyes and letting everything she reflected on consume her for that period of time. It felt haunting, but the chills that run up Lauren’s spine only reassured her that she was finally doing it right. 

“ _ Everything feels like touchdown on a rainy day.”  _

She kept reciting on the lines with her eyes shut, blind to Ally’s beaming smile behind the recording booth glass. Lauren kept swaying as the beat slowly dwindled down to a silence. 

She inhaled again and opened her eyes, seeing Ally at the office chair beyond the glass clapping her hands fervently.

“Lauren,” she said, “That was  _ it.”  _

“Really?!” Lauren asked excitedly.

“Yes! Now was that too hard?”

“Not really, no.”

“Good.” Ally turned to the mixer and adjusted some of its knobs, “You better remember that.”

“Will do.” Lauren replied, carefully taking off her headphones, “So...we’re done here?”

“Yes ma'am!” Ally unlocked her phone to check the time, “And you've got just enough time to go in the back and call that radio station that wanted the interview.”

“Ah, shit!” Lauren exclaimed, resting her hand on her forehead “I completely forgot.”

“Guess I know your schedule much more than you do.”

“I usually remember stuff like that, I guess I'm just busy.” Lauren said in a nervous chuckle.

“It's a good busy, right?”

“Right.” The studio fell to a silence as Lauren stepped out of the recording booth.

“Listen,  I'm proud of you Lauren.” Ally said sincerely, beaming with a smile.

Lauren grinned back, grabbing her bag that leaned against one of the studio monitors. 

“Really?” Lauren asked.

“Yes really.” Ally crossed her arms, “I mean where were we last summer? Occasionally doing small gigs at summer fests and state fairs with old music?”

Lauren chuckled again, running her fingers through her hair.

“Yeah.” She replied softly, “The food was good though.” 

“And now you're opening at the VMAs in two fucking weeks. That feels so nice to say, you know?”

“Oh it does alright.” 

“I hope you're cherishing this, Lauren. This time in your life must feel amazing. Like you don't even understand how proud I am because,” she paused as her voice quavered.

“Ally, are you about to cry?” Lauren asked with a pout.

“All those damn pep talks I gave you when your ass didn't wanna listen,” they both chuckled, “And dealing with trying to rehearse while you were hungover, it was a mess. You were a mess back then.”

“You’re right about that.” Lauren said with a laugh.

“And to see you finally realizing your true potential...it's...it's beautiful to see, Lauren. I mean personally, I was very scared to work with you back then sometimes because it's not good to invest in only potential but thank God you started working your ass off and now everything is coming together.” Ally wiped a tear off of her cheek, “I'm so proud of you Lauren.” She repeated. Lauren pouted again as she stepped towards Ally, opening her arms. They hugged in the silent studio, rocking side to side as Ally sniffled into Lauren’s shoulder.

Lauren then stepped back to wipe a tear from Ally’s cheek, smiling widely. 

“Ally,” Lauren called, rubbing her eyes, “Stop, you're gonna make me cry.”

Ally sniffed again before she regained her composure.

“You better savor this, Lauren,” she said, “Very few people make the most of shit like this. I hope you give it all you've got.” 

Lauren nodded her head, wiping a tear from her cheek.

“Can you do that for me?”

“Of course.” Lauren replied confidently. She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to the door.

“I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow, Jauregui.” 

Lauren waved from the exit, still holding back tears.

“And don't forget what I said!”

“I won't.” Lauren replied, waving to Ally once more before the studio door shut loudly behind her. 


	18. Chapter 18

**“Working together is success.” -Henry Ford**

 

_ “Don't tell me listen to your song because it isn't the same. I don't wanna say your love is a waiting game.”   _ Lauren belted into the empty theater, blushing as her voice reverberated across the huge venue. She then inhaled sharply once her band behind her stopped playing as her hand reached up to graze her golden locket that hadn't left her neck since she got it back home in Miami. Everything soon became quiet as the final tones echoed across the grand theater. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Candece in the very front row with her head laying in her palm. 

“You're nervous aren't you?” Candece asked shifting in her seat. Lauren stood with her eyebrows arched, silent, as if she was scared to admit that she was. 

“You can say it in the mic it's okay.” Candece assured. “Everybody gets nervous.” 

“Yeah...a bit.” Lauren said into the mic, hearing her speaking voice echo across the theater. She adjusted her in ear before asking, “How could you tell?”

“I could hear it in your belt.” Candece said, “You rarely get nervous though, what's up?”

“I'm starting off this year’s VMAs, how could I  _ not _ be nervous?”

“How are you nervous during a soundcheck?”

“I'm nervous during a soundcheck hours before  _ the  _ VMAs, I think it's pretty justifiable.”

“It is, I understand.” Candece said. She crossed her legs in her seat as she continued, “What would help is if you remember what you're going for with this section of the performance.”

“Which is?” Lauren asked, resting her hand on her hip.

“I'm gonna be honest with you, alright?”

“Mhm.” Lauren answered with a nod.

“Over the past year, you've fallen off. Big time. You know it, I know it, and everybody who will be watching knows it. Now, you're singing Waiting Game because it's your biggest solo hit to date, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, this is your time to tell the whole world that they need to remember you again and that this time, you're here to stay.” She paused to make sure Lauren was following her words, “When this airs, that camera is going to be on your face as you sing and everyone is going to remember why they loved you so much, but only if you deliver that. You might think that's all gonna be ‘Hands on Me’s’ job but this plays an even bigger part in that. And I know you can pull through.” 

Lauren kept her hand on the mic, nodding at her A&R’s words. 

“You're a gorgeous girl who can  _ sing _ . And if you let the world know that again tonight, I promise you, on my whole life, that the rest of this year will be your absolute best. You got that?”

“Got it.”

“Did it help?”

“A good bit, yeah.”

“You're doing a really great job, Lauren I'm proud of you. But, we have to be more than great tonight. Does that make sense?”

“Yes ma'am.” 

“Good. Now let's head out to the dressing room.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Lauren said, turning around to see her band start packing up, “We’re not soundchecking for Normani’s part or Hands on Me?”

“We already checked Normani.” A technician called out. Lauren pouted her lips as she took her mic off of its stand.

“Fix your face Lauren,” Candece cried out, “You'll literally be around her all day long.”  Lauren brought her lips up to a fake grin as she stalked off the stage, hopping down its steps to the dark backstage area. 

“You sounded great out there.” A technician complimented, “I'm a big fan.”

“Thank you so much.” Lauren replied sincerely, getting her water bottle from a young stagehand. Lauren then pulled her phone out to see a text from Normani scrolling across the center.

_ “I'm gonna find you after my assistant comes in with the rest of the costumes. You better have some free time on your hands ;)”  _ Lauren blushed at the message before she put the phone back inside of her pocket, biting her lip in excitement.

“Your dressing room is the fifth on your left, alright?”

“Alright, thank you.” 

Lauren walked through the dark backstage area, waving to the staff that bustled around the theater, making sure everything was running smoothly before the big show tonight. 

Lauren and Normani had been rehearsing in the theater all weekend, working out the kinks in their opening performance for the VMAs. If everything went as planned, they could easily have the greatest performance of the entire night. As Lauren walked to her dressing room, adrenaline coursed through her veins. She’d been waiting for this moment for weeks and it was finally here. All of those long rehearsals, promotional interviews, and costume fittings were just about over and now it was her time to deliver. 

Lauren pushed on the door to her dressing room, seeing Candece and Ally already laying on the couch. 

“How’d you guys get here so fast?” Lauren asked in a chuckle.

“You just walk slow.” Ally groaned, stretching out on the couch.

“Sleepy much?” Lauren asked, taking off her leather jacket and tossing it on one of the counters. 

“Very.”

“How much time until I have to start getting ready?”

“Like three hours.”

“Shit.” Lauren swore, stretching out her arms, “Sounds like plenty.”

“You remember you have one hour for hair, another hour for makeup right?” Candece asked, perking up in her seat.

“One hour for myself is more than enough time.” Lauren replied softly, pulling her phone out of her pocket. 

“Are you gonna go visit your little girlfriend?” Ally asked.

“Yes ma'am.” Lauren turned back to the exit and pushed out of the dressing room, “And she’s just right across the hall too.” Lauren smiled as she strutted across the hall, blushing at Normani’s name scrawled on the door. Loud dancehall music nearly boomed through her door. Lauren furrowed her eyebrows as she pressed her ear to the door. Lauren slowly pushed it open and immediately heard Normani giggle along with someone else.

“Is it like this?” 

“Yeah, just like that.” 

Lauren arched her eyebrows quizzically before she pushed the door open any wider.

“Damn, you're good too. You could've worked with me if you wanted to, girl!”

“I try, I try.” Normani replied flirtatiously. Lauren pursued her lips together, contemplating if she should storm inside or not. Instead, she creaked the door open wide enough just so that she could see what was going on without intruding suddenly. As soon as she saw Normani, she gasped, but (thankfully) she couldn't hear nor see Lauren over the loud dancehall music. 

Normani was in the middle of her dressing room with one hand up in the air. She was winding her waist to the beat of the music, sticking her tongue out. A tall, sexy blonde woman was right behind her, entwining her hand with Normani’s as she cheered along with her, stepping extremely close to Normani’s ass. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Lauren asked hastily. They couldn’t hear her. They continued to dance on each other as the song blared through Normani’s speakers.

“Hello?!” Lauren yelled, “Am I interrupting something?!” The two women turned to the door, slacking open both of their jaws in surprise.

“Not at all, Lauren!” Normani assured, pulling out her phone from the waistband of her legs to cut the music off. Lauren tried to mask her annoyance as she stepped into the dressing room, shutting the door loudly behind her. She then met eyes with the tall woman, furrowing her eyebrows quizzically at her familiar face.

“Do I know you?” Lauren asked with a hint of petty quavering in her voice. 

“Oh, please forgive me babe,” Normani apologized, setting her phone down on a makeup counter, “This is my assistant, D-”

“Dinah, right?” Lauren asked. The woman stretched her hand out with a beaming smile. 

“Yes, it’s so nice to see you again!” she cheered, firmly shaking Lauren’s hand.

“Again?” 

“Oh, I used to work at Sapphire.”

“Sapphire?” Lauren asked, briefly turning to Normani, “Sapphire as in...the s-”

“Strip club, yes.”   
“Oh wow.” Lauren said with a nod, “Why’d you quit?”

“I just needed to get away from all of that for a while.” Dinah said, “But I’m  starting to miss showing up to work in lingerie.”

Lauren chuckled at Dinah’s comment before she continued, “Well, I’ve heard many great things about you.” She turned to Normani, arching her eyebrows, “I hear you’ve been doing a bang-up job.”

“I try my best.” Dinah replied humbly, turning back to Normani to escape Lauren’s intense glare. 

“I heard your soundcheck, by the way.” Normani said in attempt to lift the awkwardness out of the room. 

“God, I was so nervous.” Lauren groaned, plopping down on the couch in an exasperated heap. 

“You sounded beautiful, especially with the echo and stuff.” Dinah complimented. 

“Thank you so much.” Lauren replied sincerely, slowly sitting herself back up on the couch. The room fell to an awkward silence as Dinah walked over to the makeup counter, pretending to fiddle with her schedule papers. Lauren sat with her lips pursed in contemplation as she replayed the memory of Normani and her assistant dancing on each other over and over in her head. She tried to force herself to believe that it was harmless, but something about it bothered her no matter what else she focused on. 

“Dinah,” Normani started, breaking the painful silence, “Matt is at the gate with the rest of the stuff, can you ring him in for me?”

“Sure.” Dinah replied before grabbing her phone and shooting out of the dressing room, shutting the door loudly behind her.

“Looks like she wanted to get out of here fast.” Lauren observed as she propped her feet upon the coffee table.

“What’s your issue?” Normani asked, taking a piece of fruit off of the food tray at the edge of the makeup counter. Lauren didn’t reply, even once Normani repeated herself.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Lauren responded staley. 

“Do I know you? That’s the first thing you could say?”

“It’s the first thing that came to mind.”

“Mhm.” Normani replied, popping the piece of fruit into her mouth, “You’re gonna have to fix that fucking attitude, Jauregui.” Normani sat next to her girlfriend on the couch and placed her hand on her thigh. 

“I don’t have an attitude...Kordei.” Lauren replied matter of factly.

“Drop the attitude or you’re not getting shit tonight.” 

Lauren rolled her eyes and smacked her teeth in response.

“Yeah right.” she scoffed.

“No, I’m serious Lauren.” Normani scooted closer to Lauren, “When we get back home, I’m gonna put on my onesie and go straight to bed. No celebratory sex whatsoever.” 

“Fine then.” Lauren replied, crossing her arms exasperatedly, “I’m not gonna get on my knees and beg for you anyways.”

“Really?” Normani asked, sitting up in the couch, “Because that’s what you were doing in the shower last night.” Lauren pursued her lips, hiding a smile.

“Don’t try to hide it, you wanna laugh!” Normani pointed out, scooting even closer to Lauren.

Lauren sighed before she answered, “Yeah...that was a pretty good one.” 

“Exactly.” Normani said after a chuckle, “Now gimme a kiss.” Lauren groaned again before turning to Normani with her lips puckered. 

Normani giggled again before she pressed her lips against her girlfriend’s in a quick peck.

“Are you excited for tonight or what?”

“I am now.” Lauren answered with a wink. 

“You’re so nasty.” Normani joked, lightly tapping Lauren’s chest with her hand. 

“Now give me another kiss before your little mistress gets back here.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Normani scoffed before bringing her lips to Lauren’s once again in a passionate kiss. 

 

\---

 

“I just have one more question before you girls leave,” the bubbly young interviewer started loudly over the hoards of fans screaming from the stands, shutter clicks, and paparazzi. Normani and Lauren stood towards the end of the red carpet in awe. Time flew as they walked along the carpet together, posing for pictures and answering quick interview questions before they were pushed inside to get ready for their opening performance. The feeling of having a huge crowd cheer for them felt amazing, especially since most of them were extremely excited for the show and Normani and Lauren knew that they could deliver. 

“But before your manager gets you guys to the stage,” the interviewer stated before turning to Matt with a nervous smile, “I must say you two look so beautiful tonight. Normani, red looks amazing on you,” she turned at Normani following her eyes down the long slit of her flowing red dress (which was typical for just about anyone who looked at her that night), “And, Lauren, this black dress is absolutely gorgeous.”

“Thank you!” They answered in unison. 

“Ah, and the coordination!” The interviewed marveled, “I just noticed the red necklace on you, Lauren!” she turned to Normani, “And the black on you! I’d easily say you two are the best dressed of the night so far.”

“Aw, thank you Chelsey!” Normani said, patting the young interviewer’s shoulder.

“I just wanted to get that out there before I ask my question, now,” she scrolled on her phone to find her final fan question, “@handsonmelaurmani wants to know what do you have to say about the dating rumors between you two?”

Lauren and Normani arched their eyebrows, turning to each other as they contemplated an answer. Normani immediately regretted scheduling this interview; she forgot how intentionally childish Chelsey was. She was nice and charismatic, she was just always in someone else's’ personal business.

“Well,” Normani started confidently, “I say...” she paused, spreading her glossed lips into a smile, “I mean, we say that it’s none of their business!” Normani shrugged her shoulders as she turned to Lauren, who beamed with a smile. 

“Oh wow!” Chelsey exclaimed, “Well there you have it, this is Chelsey signing off for HollywireTV.” The interviewer held her smile as the cameraman stopped the recording.   
“Views, views, views.” Lauren muttered underneath her breath. 

“Damn right.” Normani replied, turning to Lauren with a giggle. 

“Thank you ladies once again, I’m really glad we could get that question out of the way.”

“Mhm.” Normani replied stalely, “It was nice seeing you Chelsey.”

Before the both of them could reach out for a hug, Matt began to shove them off towards the end of the red carpet.

“We’ve gotta go ladies,” he muttered an apology to the interviewer before he led the couple down the rest of the red carpet, weaving through the countless numbers of film crews and celebrities.

“Is that Chelsey lady always trying to get in your business like that?” Matt asked, turning back to Normani. 

“Always. More than usual, actually.”

“Same here.” Lauren cosigned. 

“Figures.” Matt groaned under his breath, opening a heavy steel door for the two. Immediately, all of commotion outside quickly drew to a silence with the slam of the door. 

“You have 20 minutes.” Matt said, double checking his watch as his voice echoed down the empty hall.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Lauren groaned.

“I wish, but Dinah already has everything set we just need to readjust hair and makeup.”

The pair nodded as they turned the hallway, strutting past technicians and managers along the hallway. 

“This is so exciting!” Normani marveled with an excited squeal.

“I know right!” Lauren agreed, lightly squeezing Normani’s hand. But before they could get more physical, they were already in front of their doors and parted ways. Lauren went straight to her stylist to change into her elegant gown she was going to wear for Waiting Game while Normani went to hers to pick out the right pair of shoes she’d wear for Watch n’ Learn. 

 In the brief moments before showtime, Lauren and Normani sat in their respective seats in full costume, watching their teams bustle anxiously around the dressing room, crying out call times and countdowns every thirty seconds. It was an exhilarating feeling to know that in just a few minutes, they would be taking the  **legendary** VMA stage. With the little time they had, they worked through their vocal warmups with their coaches and went over their dance moves in the middle of the hallway with Sean. Despite their slight anxiety, this was finally their moment and Lauren and Normani were determined to make it their best. 

“Do you have your locket on?” Normani asked, taking Lauren’s hands into hers.

“Of course, it’s flipped around and taped under my gown.”

“Alright then. Good luck,” she said sincerely, “You look beautiful.” Normani scanned her eyes down her girlfriend, who was clad in a long navy blue gown that had a deep neckline drop.

“You look nervous, are you?” Lauren asked quickly, getting out of the way of another technician crowding the dark backstage area.

“Hell no, I was born for this!” Normani rejected with a beaming smile, “The real question is are you nervous?”

“I mean...yeah but...I-it's a good nervous.”

“Better be.” 

“Lauren!” A stagehand yelled, “Setup’s clear, time to go.” 

Lauren turned back to the stagehand, who stood at the gate towards the main stage and then back at Normani with her lip quivering in nervousness.

“Good luck, Mani.” Lauren said.

“Don’t be nervous Lo, this is your fucking moment, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I would kiss you but I don’t want to mess up your makeup.” They both shared a laugh before Lauren met up with the stagehand, Apprehensively letting him lead the way towards the stage. Lauren then turned to the crowd backstage, waving goodbye to Normani and her team with a wide grin.

Lauren walked through the gate towards the stage, holding her gown as it continued to trail behind her.

“Do we have the quickchange clothes ready?” Lauren asked worriedly. 

“Yes ma’am they’ll be waiting for on stage left.”

“Perfect.”

Lauren gasped as she stepped onto the main stage. The whole theater was packed with fans, press, and celebrities, all who cheered for Lauren as she took the stage. Various volunteers were lighting the candles that surrounded her performance space as her band took their posts in front of their instruments. 

“Wow.” Lauren whispered under her breath, looking down to make sure she wouldn’t trip over the elegant gown. She smiled before stopping in front of her microphone stand, looking out into the filling crowd with her lip still quivering in anxiety. 

She turned away from the stand before asking, “This mic is checked right?” 

“Of course.”

Lauren nodded before running her fingers through her straight jet black hair, double checking that every strand was on either side of her part in the middle. 

“2 minutes!” The stagehand yelled before strutting back off of the stage. 

 

Lauren stood with her hands on the mic, making sure she wasn't breathing too heavily onto it. Then, she closed her eyes, hoping that these next two minutes sped by. There were only 120 seconds of time before she had to give one of the most important performances of her entire life. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled even deeper, humming to herself in a final attempt to calm herself. The bustle of the crowd dwindled down with each breath as Lauren smiled, inching closer and closer to her mic. 

“And 30 seconds!” 

Lauren slowly opened her eyes, grinning at the camera that was only a few feet in front of her face. This was it.

 

Normani stood on the wings, looking on excitedly as Lauren sang throughout the filled theater. Her voice reverberated against its walls, sending chills down  her spine. Solely with her voice, she had the whole venue silent as they watched on in awe. It almost brought tears to her eyes. But, Normani couldn't watch on for much longer; she hustled onto the stage and stood at her opening mark with her crew of background dancers. She still looked on to Lauren, who was singing her final chorus as passionate as ever. 

“Don't tell me listen to your song because it isn't the same.” Lauren then belted, “I don't wanna say your love is a waiting game.”

Suddenly, all of the programmed candles that circled around her went out as the spotlight on her vanished with them. The audience roared in applause, standing up for Lauren’s perfect performance. Normani grinned happily as she turned her head forward, waiting for the musical cue to start.

“VMAs,” Normani called through her headset mic, “Are you ready?” The audience cheered with her as the introduction for Watch n Learn got louder and louder. The lights and the background switched moods from a dark red to a bright green as the dance drum beat bursted through the loudspeakers. Once the front stage camera zoomed towards Normani, she smiled as she hit her first move, strutting to center stage to do her part of the performance.

  
  


“Don't stress yourself out Lauren, you have time!” Ally cried, leading Lauren down the stairs of the stage and off to the side. Lauren held her arms up as her wardrobe team zoomed around her, lifting the gown off of her body. A few stagehands helped with raising a circle of black sheets around Lauren to keep her hidden from the audience. Other held their phone flashlights around the small circle as Lauren pulled off the gown and slid on her shorts and jacket for Hands On Me. Lauren smiled to herself as she heard her girlfriend’s vocals echo across the theater and over the loud screams coming from the fans and the audience. She fastened the bottoms to her costume and ran her fingers through her hair, looking down to step into her custom heels. Her team let go of the black sheets once Lauren’s top was secured and led her back on to the stage to her cue. Lauren could barely hear a word they were saying over the boisterous screams of the audience, but she kept following the stagehands. So occasionally turned to the stage, grinning as she watched Normani wind her waist to her song, causing an uproar in the crowd. 

Once she reached the starting point for the final part of the performance, Lauren inhaled deeply, adjusting and tightening her costume, bobbing her head to Watch n Learn. 

“Lauren, over here.” Lauren turned immediately to see her makeup artist with an opened tube of lipstick in her hand, “Did they take the maroon lip off?”

Lauren nodded as she leaned into the tube. Her makeup artist spread the new color across her lips and leaned back with a pleased smile. Lauren saw her mouth something to her, but she couldn’t hear a single word over the audience.

“Huh?” Lauren asked in response, furrowing her eyebrows. The makeup artist chuckled as she simply gave her two thumbs up before hopping off the side of the stage.

A technician reared next to Lauren with one hand up with a three and another hand up with a zero. Lauren nodded as she turned forwards, placing her hand on her hip. Before the last part began, she ran through the steps in her head. She hadn’t been nervous ever since she nailed her final note in Waiting Game so now all she had to do was have a ball with her girlfriend out in front of the whole theater as well as the entire country. 

 

Suddenly, the lights switched colors as the brassy intro to Hands On Me blared from the speakers. Lauren tapped on her in-ear before she strutted down the long runway, meeting eyes with Normani who was now walking alongside her with a wide smile plastered upon her face. The crowd’s yells got even louder as the duo reached center stage. Their crew of background dancers followed as their custom heels clicked down the stage. Lauren turned to Normani, winking at her before she brought her mic to her lips, hyping up the crowd before they began singing the chorus.  Normani glanced at Lauren once more as they exchanged joyful smiles before the darker woman snapped into her more aggressively sexual and energetic version of her regular self.

Like clockwork, the two women launched right into their choreography. Every harmony, turn, and wind of the waist was so together it looked like Lauren and Normani were sharing the same brain. Both of them put their absolute best forth and it was evident even in the first few seconds.

 

_ "Trembling when you touch. Rush is racing, body baking. Picture me and you makin, makin sweet love," _ Normani sang as she seductively gritted her teeth and thrusted her hips,  _ "Baby, give it to me."   _ They were so in sync, they looked like they looked more like a unit than they already were. Their level of unity was already so intense but to only see it increase was astonishing to everyone in the audience. It was as tight as possible, almost bordering robotic, but their passion made it look much more fun and lively than others had expected. Lauren vibing off the performance assumed Normani's signature crouch as she winked right in the camera, singing out the sexy lyrics,  _ "I might be a little thing but I like that long." _ They both maintained the almost intimidating presence of their dynamic. Despite the contrast, as they rocked and gyrated their hips to the last chorus, the young women on the stage could tell that the crowd was living for it. Once the pyrotechnics came into play, the crowd grew even louder, standing up and dancing in the aisles, which Lauren and Normani had never seen before. Sparks began to fly above the entire stage as Lauren, Normani, and the crew of background dancers went through the final dance break in sync. Then the final ad-lib portion came, they continued to balance each other out vocally, and visually, stepping and belting simultaneously. Then, they stood back to back for the final note, grinning as more sparks shot up from the stage. 

The audience went absolutely crazy, jumping and cheering for the two way too longer than they had expected. Lauren held her smile until the lights went out on the main stage, turning to Normani with an excited hop. “We fucking did it!” Normani squealed, jumping up and down. Stagehands swarmed around the pair as the announcer being his introduction of the award show’s nominees and presenters. 

“That was...amazing, Mani.” Lauren let out in an exasperated sigh, “You killed it out there.” They both hopped down the steps and entered the backstage area, zooming past well-established celebrities yelling at their assistants. The pair grabbed bottles of water in the backstage cooler and followed the stagehands towards the dressing room area. Lauren and Normani waved and grinned at the technicians who complimented their performance. But, Lauren’s smile dropped as a hefty hand wrapped around her bicep, causing her to stop in the hallway.

“Hey,” a deep voice rang out. Lauren snapped her head up to the man, who still had sunglasses on in the dark backstage area, “You ladies did a great job.” Then, he smiled, which allowed Lauren know exactly who it was: Niko. Immediately, Lauren yanked her arm out of his unintentionally hard grip, and snarled at him, causing Normani to stop next to her. 

“Don’t you dare put your fucking hands on me ever again, you bastard.” Lauren snapped, jolting forwards at Niko. He jerked back, arching his eyebrows. He put his hands up and shook his head slowly. 

“I was just doing what your little song told me to do.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Normani added, grabbing Lauren’s hand, “You know damn well we’re almost done finalizing the restraining order.” She turned to Lauren and led her through the backstage, “Let’s go babe.” 

“You’ll never be able to escape me!” He replied aggressively.

Normani turned back and yelled, “Nigga, how about you stop worrying about our escape and worry about escaping your crazy ass baby momma and her expensive tastes?” She pulled Lauren through backstage, trying to get as far away from him as possible, “You aint shit and certainly not to us, nigga!” She quickly turned back around pulling Lauren along aggressively.

“I know that was highkey unprofessional y’all, I apologize,” Normani said turning to the stagehands, “But if you put your hands on someone without asking that’s a clear reason for me to cuss you out.” The stagehands laughed along with Normani as she breathed in deeply, blinking her eyes as they began to walk through the brightly lit dressing room hallway, “Damn I’m sick of his ass.” 

“Anyways,” one of the stagehands said, “That was amazing you two. I loved it.”

“Thank you!” Lauren and Normani replied humbly. 

“Ladies!” A voice cried out, “Lauren! Normani!” The two snapped their hands back to see Candece jogging towards them with tears glossing over her eyes.

“That,” she started, “Was fucking perfect. I’m so so proud of you two you don’t even understand.”

They both stopped coincidentally in front of their respective dressing rooms, and turned to the A&R, pouting at the tears going down her face.

“I’m a fucking hardass and I’ve never cried like this before!” She yelled out, bringing her hands out as Normani and Lauren hugged the tall blonde woman. 

“Awww, Candy!” Lauren said, rubbing her hand on her back as they swayed side to side in the middle of the hallway. 

“You did your fucking thing out there.” Candece added, stepping back to wipe one more tear from her face, “No let's go win some awards.”

Lauren and Normani giggled before the younger woman said, “You can never stay emotional for too long.”

“Never.” Candece replied playfully, “Now, let’s get dressed. Best Collab will be called in about 45 minutes.”

 

Quickly thereafter, Lauren and Normani were sat in their seats towards the front of the theater in their coordinated dresses. Solely on the walk from the dressing room to the seating area, they received countless compliments from fans, celebrities, journalists, and stagehands. To receive the compliments felt good but what made them feel even better was how genuine they sounded. Everyone had something positive to say and it was obvious that they meant it. 

By the time Lauren and Normani sat down, they were both anxious for the presentation about the winners for Best Collab and Artist to Watch. They were having a hard time sitting through all of the other performances leading up to them, especially since all of them were sub-par. As much as they wished to savor the moment, they found it hard to find their patience for the next 30 minutes. But by the time the two presenters for the collab award took the stage, the both of them become a little jittery with nerves. Lauren took Normani’s hand into hers as they kept their eyes on the stage. 

“And here are the nominees for Best Collaboration.” The presenter said, pointing to the screen. The audience erupted in screams as video clips from the nominee’s music videos glared across all of the screens in the venue. Lauren and Normani looked up with wide smiles spread upon their faces in an attempt to hide the nervous adrenaline that was coursing through their veins. As the clips of themselves with cigars and garter belts went across the screen, the venue’s applause and cheers grew extremely, causing Normani and Lauren’s stomachs to drop.

“And the VMA goes to...” One of the presenters peeled open the envelope as the other peered into it excitedly. They both looked up  leaning into the mic. Lauren and Normani held their breath, tightening their grip on each other's hand.

The two presenters smiled, breathing in slowly to exclaim:

“Hands On Me by Normani Kordei and Lauren Jauregui!”

Lauren placed her hand over her mouth as she shot up in her seat, still holding onto Normani’s hand. Normani smiled brightly as she lead Lauren out of their row and down the aisle. Everyone in front of them stood up and turned to their side, clapping and congratulating them as they walked to the main stage. The audience’s cheers became so loud as they reached the main stage, it almost brought tears to Normani and Lauren’s eyes. Almost every single person in that theater was clapping and cheering for them and applauding  _ them  _ on what they had done and how hard they work to make their song successful. It was finally paying off. 

“Wow!” Lauren exclaimed into the mic, gently taking the moonman from the presenters hands. Normani soon followed, smiling next to Lauren, who was jittering with excitement.

“Oh my god, this is amazing.” Lauren said, leaning off to the side to let Normani speak first, mostly because she was less likely to curse on national television.

“Well firstly, we’d like to give a huge thanks to Candece Campbell for making this happen, you're amazing mama. Shoutout to Matthew, Ally, and Sean for bringing this together and a major thanks to Fernando Ruíz for developing this music video with all of us, we love you so much.” Normani leaned off the side and looked at Lauren, who was already leaning back into the mic to start her part of the speech.

“Muchas gracias a mi familia en Miami, te quiero mucho! Without you guys I wouldn't be here. Um,” she paused slightly, “Before we get kicked off of the stage, I’d like to give a big thank you to my fans who’ve stayed over the last few years. You know I love you all, so thank you for the second chance.” 

The audience applauded as Lauren stood back from the microphone, meeting eyes with one of the presenters who began to lead both of them backstage. 

“We did it, Mani!” Lauren squealed, stepping down the steps to the backstage area.

“Right!” Mani replied, turning to Lauren with a grin plastered onto her face, “All that hard work..”

“Finally paid off!” Lauren exclaimed.

“I'm so fucking proud of you baby.” 

“I'm so proud of us, Mani.” Spontaneously, Normani wrapped her arm around Lauren’s neck and brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. Normani wrapped her other arm around Lauren’s neck, smiling against her lips. Before Lauren could deepen the kiss, Normani pulled away from Lauren's lips, winking at her before saying, “There's more where that came from, Lauren.” 

Lauren’s jaw slacked open before her lips went back into a smile. 

“Now let's go.” Normani commanded, turning towards the exit only to gasp at the camera who had been filming them from the moment they got off the stage. 

“Hey!” Lauren cried out, furrowing her eyebrows in frustration. Before Lauren could even start her rant, Normani yanked her out of the camera’s view, hoping that it didn't broadcast their response to its appearance.

“Oh my god.” Normani gasped, “I completely forgot about that damn camera, I'm so sorry Lauren.”

“No Mani, there's no need to be sorry.”

“Shit, I wonder what they saw.” Normani said in a hushed tone.

“Well it was a nice show.” Lauren answered with a wink.

“Oh shut up.” Normani scoffed, playfully tapping Lauren's shoulder, “Let's get out of here before any more cameras catch us.”

“Right. Okay let's go.” Lauren replied, taking Normani’s hand as they headed back out through the hallways.

 

After a quick photoshoot with their moonman, Lauren and Normani found their seats just in time for the Artist to Watch  award. Normani wasn't nervous at all, as usual, but Lauren was for some odd reason. Her foot tapped anxiously against the theater carpet as she constantly looked over to Normani with a worried expression. 

As if Normani had been reading her mind, she leaned over and whispered, “Don't worry about me Lauren, I'll be okay.” Lauren only grinned in response as she kept tapping her foot on the floor.

“I'm serious.” Normani reiterated, placing her hand delicately on Lauren’s thigh, causing Lauren’s foot-tapping to stop immediately, “I'm fine mama.” 

Lauren smiled in response, leaning back slightly in her seat as the presenter for Artist to Watch  took the stage. 

Normani sat up with a smile plastered onto her face. No matter how cheesy it sounded, she truly was happy just to be nominated. Even though she knows she deserved the win, the press she gained for herself just for the performance alone was just enough relevancy she needed before her album release. If she won, it would be the icing on the cake. She sat up straight as they announced the other nominees, thinking about her potential thank you speech once she’d reach the stage. She adjusted her low cut dress to make sure that one of her breasts wouldn’t pop out if she jumped too high and she kept her smile just in case they had a camera locked onto her just to see her reaction.

“And the VMA goes to...” The presenter started loudly, peeling the winning envelope. He took a deep breath before he bellowed, “Normani Kordei!”

 

Lauren was the first to hop from her seat as she turned to Normani, cheering and clapping her hands along with the rest of the audience. Normani slowly stood up, and gracefully walked out of the aisle and towards the stage, waving at familiar faces as she walked by. She looked up at the main stage, running through her lines as she elegantly walked up the stairs. After kissing the presenter on the cheek and collecting her moonman, she turned to the mic again, beaming with a smile.

“Oh my gosh,” Normani started over the audience’s cheers and applause that didn't seem to die down as she took the mic. She leaned back, hoping that the cheers would die down just enough so that she could continue, but they didn't. She smiled humbly, looking around the theater before she went back up into the mic again.

“Y'all can't be screamin’ like that, they're timing me up here.” she joked leaning back to laugh, “I'm kidding,” she chuckled again, “But firstly, I would like to thank God for giving me this gift that I can share with everyone across the world and these amazing opportunities, without Him I wouldn't be here. Second, I would like to thank my family in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Houston especially my mama and my daddy who’ve done so much for me, I love y'all to the moon and back. I would also like to thank Candece and Matt for working with me and helping me make this one of my best years, let’s hope next year is even better. And finally, I’d like to thank my fans for the  constant, undying support, we did it you guys.” Normani lifted the moonman up in the air with a joyous smile, lifting her head up to the bright stage lights before she turned back towards the presenter who led her backstage. 

“Congratulations,” he said genuinely, “I'm a big fan, you deserve every bit of this.” 

“Thank you.” Normani replied humbly as he took her hand down the stairs. Once Normani spotted the backstage camera, she waved at it with a happy smile, still wondering who saw her and Lauren’s passionate kiss from earlier. Once she and presenter got out of the camera’s view, they turned to each other smiling.

“I wasn't given the chance to properly introduce myself Ms. Kordei,” the slender, dark-skinned man reached his hand out, “Yonas A-”

“Abdal.” Normani finished, firmly shaking the man’s hand, “Who doesn't know who you are nowadays? You're practically in every movie I see.”

“Oh really?” He asked with a smile.

“Which is a good thing because you're spectacular.”

“Oh, thank you” He replied softly, “I guess that means things are going up for the both of us, huh?” 

“I guess you could say that.” Normani said with a smirk, stepping closer to Yonas to make room for a technician carrying a box of props, she turned towards the bright hallway past the backstage area, adding, “Sorry, but don't want to be late to the promo shoot.” She started to step away, “It was nice meeting you, Yonas!”

“Wait, Ms. Kordei!”

“You can call me Normani.” She replied.

“Well Normani, I was wondering if you would like to attend my after party tonight, that is if you're not busy of course.”

“No, I'd love to actually!” Normani exclaimed.

“Perfect!”

“Well,” Normani stepped closer to him, “May I bring a few of my friends?”

“Of course, how many, love?”

“Hm, about,” Normani counted on her fingers, “Five...excluding myself.”

“Well I'll see you there, then.” Yonas said.

“Perfect,” Normani replied in a giggle. She started to walk down to the press area before she blew Yonas a kiss, “See you later tonight, it was nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Yonas said, waving goodbye, “And congratulations!” 

“Thank you!” Normani replied sweetly before vanishing from his sight.

 

\---

 

Lauren and Normani were used to the camera flashes after a while of being blinded by them. They learned to focus on the back of the room and the eyes of the journalists instead. It was an agitating process to go through for the next fifteen minutes or so, but considering their triumphant night, press was hardly a reason to be annoyed. 

The awards show finally concluded and Lauren and Normani had specifically been asked to do a quick press release as a duo, since it would save time. Both of their moonmans were on top of the table, they scooted closer together and held hands underneath the table as they answered question after question. 

“So this one’s for Lauren,” a journalist started, “What can we expect from your new album?”

“Well,” Lauren shifted in her seat, letting her chin lean into her palm, “Essentially, it's a comeback album. I know I've been gone for a few years but that little break in my life gave me the time to...reestablish my identity as an artist and as a person as well. It was a long process to go through that but since most of my stuff is all made by me, that makes the process go by much smoother and much more quickly. So with that in mind, this album is very...polished and it's very close to  _ me _ as a musician and that just makes it so much more...um, so much more raw than my last album.” Lauren nodded before she picked out the next question.

“First off ladies, congratulations on the win, you both deserve it.”

“Thank you!” They replied in unison.

“We all know how much of a smash ‘Hands On Me’ is and one of the main things the public loves about this is not only the music video but the song itself so while it was being made, what kind of criteria did you give the producers for the song? Or was it just assigned?”

“Actually neither.” Normani said, sitting up in her seat, “We made the song from the ground up. We first met at a little party in New York and long story short, we didn't see it for each other. But then we started bonding together and just jamming out then, after a few arguments.”

“So many arguments.” Lauren muttered with a chuckle.

“Yeah, after those,” Normani repeated with a giggle, “Lauren made the beat for the song and we loved it immediately. Even though we had our disagreements, we wanted the song to sound in your face but we also wanted it to be fun and I feel like Lauren did a great job with that. Then, we collaborated with the lyrics and we sent it off. Honestly, it was one of the most smoothest processes we went through for a new single.”

“Definitely.” Lauren agreed with a nod.

“Alright so this next one is for the both of you,” another journalist started, “Do you two mind giving us a comment on Niko V claiming that you a-”

“Yes, we do mind actually. Next question.” Lauren interrupted, rolling her eyes. 

“Alright we have time for about two more questions.” Matt said, who was sat in the very front.

“Alright.” Normani said, pointing to another raised hand in the press room.

“This one is for the both of you as well,” another journalist started, “Now that your albums are almost done and you have two VMAs under your belts, what do you have planned next?”

“Well,” Normani started, “now that's all said and done, we were thinking about going on a little getaway to celebrate!”

“Can you tell us where?”

“We don't know about all that yet,” Lauren said, “But it's gonna be somewhere with a beach and sunlight.”

“For sure.” Normani agreed, laughing along with Lauren. 

“One more.” Matt added, briefly standing up from his chair.

“Okay, this last one is for the both of you,” a reporter said, “Now we noticed after you’d won for Best Collab that you two shared a quite passionate kiss with each other backstage, do you care to make a comment on that?” 

“Hm,” Lauren started chuckling nervously as color flooded her cheeks, “I was just as suprised as you all were, believe me.” Everyone in the press room laughed before Lauren continued, “Well,” she turned to Normani, “Are you sure you don't wanna take this one?”

“Yeah, I wanna see how well you do.” Normani said, laughing again.

“Well, hm how do I word this,” Lauren paused, “We honestly didn't even know that the camera was right there but, let's just say that moment was….telling of where Normani and I are.” Lauren nodded her head slowly, “And we’ll leave it at that.” The press room laughed before they began applauding, concluding the press conference. 

Lauren and Normani stood up from their stools, grabbing their awards before turning off the side of the press platform, meeting Matt at the bottom of the petite set of stairs. 

“Good work ladies,” Matt said, “That wasn't so bad.” They both nodded, “Now let's head out.”

“We can still go to Yonas’ right?” Normani asked curiously, taking Lauren's hand as they followed Matt through crowded hallways.

“Oh yeah!” Matt looked back at the couple, “Thankfully you two are changed already because traffic is a mess out there.”

“When is it not a mess, it's LA.” Lauren said before turning to Normani, “And who’s Yonas?”

“You know who he is, quit playing.” Normani said, “He presented the award to me. He was in that really good movie about,” she paused to think, “Oh! That movie about that hotel receptionist. It was nominated for an Oscar and everything.” Lauren nodded her head slowly, “He asked if we wanted to go to his party tonight.”

“All five of us?”

“Six.” Normani replied.

“Six?”

“Dinah.”

“Oh.” Lauren said plainly, “Did he invite all of us, or did he invite you and we are your guests?”

“I guess you could say both,” Normani replied, “But you shouldn't trip like this you know you wanted to go to a nice after party...and now we are.” 

Lauren solely signed in response, weaving her way through the hallway before the three of them pushed open the back door of the theater. Candece, Dinah, and Ally were already off towards the side, laughing loudly together throughout the backlot parking area.

“Ready to roll out?” Matt asked while checking his phone. The three women nodded before they walked to their SUV that was in the long, congested line towards the exit. 

“I know you've probably heard this a thousand times already but you guys did so well!” Dinah complimented, “You two deserve it.”

“Aww, thank you mama.” Lauren said with a sincere smile, “You're such a sweetie.”

“Dinah are you gonna ride with us?” Normani asked.

“No, I’m riding with Matt and them.” Dinah replied, pointing to her manager, “He wanted yall to have some private time.”

“Hm,” Lauren said, “Clever man.”

Once Lauren and Normani started piling into the SUV, Normani admitted, “Now, just saying, we’re all the press is talking about, they're eating up our love fest backstage.”

“You knew there was a camera there, didn’t you?”

“No!” Normani disagreed, buckling up her seat belt, “I swear to you. But, it is good press.”

“Good?”

“Yes, good. You know the media goes up for gay couples.”

“True.” Lauren replied, sitting back in her seat, “I just feel like that’s all they’re gonna fucking talk about Mani.”

“You’re right... and it’s going to be annoying as hell but if you do what you did in the press conference,  we'll be in perfect shape.” The SUV drew down to a silence as it pulled off the backlot, rocking side to side on the gravel.

“I just want to go to the beach already,” Lauren groaned, “I just want to rip off this dress, take off this makeup, cuddle with our moonman, and go to bed.”

“Wait...no cuddling with me? No celebratory sex?” Normani asked jokingly. 

“Of course not,” Lauren disagreed, “That’s a given on the list...that’s why I didn’t say it.”

“Mhmm.” Normani moaned, slowly placing her hand on Lauren’s lower stomach, “We don’t have to go to this party if you don’t want to, you know that right?”

Lauren peered down at Normani’s hand and slowly licked her lips, “What are you implying?”

“I think you know.” Normani replied knowingly, catching Lauren’s eyes.

“Welp,” Lauren shrugged, “I don’t know, this Yonas guy seems like a kind host it would suck to let him down.”

“But do you really even want to go?”Normani asked, “Be honest.”

“This is a tough decision Mani. I have to choose between partying and having sex, that’s real tough.”

“I mean, you can have both if you want.” Normani said, scooting closer to Lauren.

“Oh really?” Lauren asked huskily, “I can have both?”

“Yes.” Normani groaned, sliding her and further up Lauren’s thigh.

“I’ll take it.”

 

\---

 

“This is our first time partying as a couple!” Normani repeated loudly into Lauren's ear.

“What?!” Lauren asked over the blaring trap music.

“Nevermind!” Normani cried out, leaning back and raising an alcoholic drink up in the air. The crowded nightclub was nearly at capacity as almost all of the musicians piled through the main entrance. It was the hotspot of the night, especially when the VMA winners started to arrive. 

“Is everything alright over here ladies?” A deep voice called out. Normani turned to see Yonas pulling away the curtain that sectioned off their VIP booth.

“It's perfect Yonas, thank you for giving this booth to us.” Normani answered.

“Anything for my favorite VMA winners.” They both exchanged smirks before he asked, “Can I get you any drinks?” 

“Pick two of your favorites and pass em onto us.” Lauren said proudly.

“Alright, will do.” Yonas said, “I'll be back.”

“Thank you Yonas.” Normani and Lauren replied in unison. 

“I see you got the hookup.” Lauren said before bringing a thick blunt to her lips. 

“Not really, he's just really really nice.” 

“You know what that means...” Lauren implied, turning to the side as a cloud of smoke poured out of her mouth.

“What?” Normani asked, sipping from her drink.

“He's trying to fuck!” Lauren joked, “Bet it's both of us at the same time, I can just picture it. Reverse cowgirl and face ridi-”

“Lauren!” Normani interrupted, “Chill babe...”

“Why do you think I have this?” Lauren asked bringing her blunt closer to Normani’s face. Normani nodded in understanding before she took another sip.

“Gimme some.” She commanded, bringing her palm out.

“You sure?”

Normani nodded before she took the blunt out of Lauren's hand. She hesitantly brought it to her lips before she inhaled deeply. Lauren watched on as smoke escaped from her mouth, licking her lips in tidilation.

“You look hot doing that babe.” Lauren said, “And I'm surprised you didn't cough.”

“Why, you thought this is my first time?”

“Is it?”

“Of course not.” Normani took another toke before handing the blunt back off to Lauren, “Now gimme a kiss.”

Lauren slowly leaned into Normani and drunkenly kissed her lips. She wrapped her arms around her neck before deepening the kiss with her tongue. Normani’s free hand traveled down to cup Lauren’s ass over her skin tight dress, groaning onto her lips. 

“I hope I'm not interrupting.” A deep voice said. Lauren broke the kiss by biting at Normani’s lower lip before stepping back to look to the direction where the voice came from. Yonas stood at the entrance with a tray of two glasses and a wide smile.

“You kinda were but no worries.” Lauren said, reaching for the two drinks, “But you probably enjoyed the show anyways.” 

“Sure did.” Yonas muttered under his breath.

“Thank you!” Normani said cheerfully.

“Anytime, let me know if you need anything.”

“Sure.” Normani said, leaving the curtain open so Yonas could leave their booth. 

“Where are you trying to go for our getaway?” Normani asked, taking her drink off of the tray. 

“Somewhere with a beach because I'm so fucking pale,” Lauren groaned, moving to the beat of the loud rappers. 

“Obviously but where?” Normani asked before turning her back to Lauren, only to grind into her center. Lauren licked her lips again before she took another hit, smiling as she watching Normani grind on her. Lauren leaned forwards, whispering into Normani’s ear, “Looks like someone’s feeling amorous.”

“You know how I get when I have a few.”

“Mhm.” Lauren moaned, grinning as Normani kept swirling her hips onto her body, “Even though we literally just fucked on the ride over here.”

“And?” Normani asked with a mischievous smile, bringing her hand back to wrap it around Lauren’s neck, “We fucking won VMAs we can do whatever we want tonight, and we can do it as many times as we want.” 

“I won't stop you then.” Lauren said, playfully spanking Normani’s ass.

“You wouldn't have been able to but nice try,” Normani said, “Now let's go down to the main floor.”

The rest of the night was filled with more hits, shots, caressing, and grinding. After the couple went downstairs to party on the main floor, they were congratulated by so many people and almost all of them offered them celebratory drinks. Out of kindness, they always accepted, which they knew was a bad idea, but it was for the sake of their win. They flirted and grinded on each other for the whole night, laughing and goofing off with other inebriated celebrities they met that night. Normani had her phone on her, capturing almost every moment on her snapchat; there was one of Lauren twerking, another of Ally dancing on their table, one of another VMA winner dancing with the couple, and countless selfies with her red-eyed girlfriend. To say the least, the night was perfect and the party was the cherry that topped it all off. Eventually Matt came and got them, drove them home, made sure they got inside all right, and left them to their own intoxicated devices. 

~~~

“Baby are you ready for me? I'm gonna get you back for the-” Lauren slurred and then trailed off drunkenly as she walked into their bedroom stark naked. Normani, also naked, was turned on her side, her moonman gripped tightly as snores loudly emerged from her open mouth. 

Lauren blinked and slowly walked around to her side of the bed, getting in and bringing the covers up around her and Normani before she scooted to spoon her lover. 

“Not what I was planning but this is just as good. G’night.” She whispered loudly kissing Normani’s neck lightly before putting her head down onto her pillow and passing out. A good night indeed. 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**A vacation is like love – anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia. -Unknown**

 

“You didn’t have to bring that much stuff Normani.” Lauren groaned, pushing the door open with her foot. 

“Yes I did!” Normani answered, stepping into their luxury Dominican home for the week, “You said you wanted to have fun and that's what we’re gonna do this week.”

“And that involved bringing two heavy ass bags?” Lauren asked, flinging their luggage onto the couch past the foyer. 

“Yes it does actually.” Normani replied.

“You didn't smuggle anything here, right?”

“Of course not.” Normani answered in a giggle

“And thank you for carrying my stuff, Lauren.” She added in a singsongy voice.

Lauren scoffed before tossing her purse on top of their suitcases, “Yeah, yeah, yeah...I'll take them to our room later.”

“Don't worry baby, I'll take them.” Normani said, looking around their home on the beach  for the week, “Damn Candece did a great job with picking this place out, and I think she stocked everything up for us. Let me go check.” Normani stepped away from Lauren and walked towards the kitchen. Lauren looked around the spacious room, admiring the vibrant art pieces hung upon the walls accompanied with long, windows displaying the clear blue ocean water only feet away from them. Lauren then stopped her eyes as she saw Normani strut away in her long sundress that hugged her curves. She licked her lips slowly before she asked abruptly, “Wait, they're here?”

“No.” Normani looked back at Lauren, giggling once she realized she had caught her girlfriend drooling over her ass again, “Not yet I think she just got someone to buy stuff for us.” She opened the fridge tucked in the corner of the kitchen and purposefully bent down as slowly as possible to look inside. She smirked to herself, knowing that Lauren’s eyes were already glued to her behind. 

Lauren sighed before stretching her arms over her head  in the living room, “Good.” She added under her breath.

“What's up with you?” Normani asked, fishing through the fridge, “You seem like you're in such a....careless mood, are you okay?”

“Yeah I'm good.” Lauren answered quickly, “I just...” She groaned out as she continued to stretch. 

“You just what?” Normani asked, standing up with a cool bottle of champagne in her hands. 

“I just wanted a bit more alone time before they came that’s all.”

“Alone time?” Normani inquired, arching her eyebrows as she strutted back over to her girlfriend.

“Yes, alone time.” Lauren repeated, pulling her pair of sunglasses into her jet black hair. Normani slowly wrapped her arms around Lauren’s neck, gripping tighter onto the bottle of champagne. Lauren licked her lips, placing her hands on Normani’s waist. 

“Well...if that’s the case,” Normani teased raspily, leaning closer into Lauren, “I can give you that.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Lauren replied deeply, leaning in to press her lips against Normani’s in a soft kiss, “How much time do we have?”

Normani bit her lip as she looked innocently at her girlfriend, “More than enough.” She answered, unwrapping her hands from Lauren’s neck to hand her the bottle of champagne.

“What do you want me to do with this?”  Lauren asked hesitantly taking the bottle into her hands. 

“Wait out on the deck and give me 5 minutes.” Normani answered quickly. She winked before she turned to sling her bags over her shoulders and strut from Lauren’s sight. The latina let out a long sigh before she pulled her sunglasses back down over her eyes and walked towards the clear sliding patio door. 

 

Lauren gasped at the view as she felt subtle gusts of wind glide across her face. Their private view wasn’t obstructed by other buildings or people-it was just the two of them at the moment, feet away from the Dominican shore. Lauren took a deep breath, admiring the feeling of the late afternoon sun on the side of her face and the slight heat from the wooden ground rising through her flip-flops. She sat down on a loveseat in front of  the longer side of the deck and tucked the bottle of champagne beside her. Lauren grinned as she continued to admire the view in peaceful silence. 

When Normani told her that they would go somewhere if they had won their VMAs, Lauren thought that she was joking...or intoxicated. But, nope. As Normani mentioned, she was a woman of her word and she stayed true to it for the most part. In just a week’s time, her and Candece planned this trip from the bottom up and finally, they were all able to relax and celebrate their wins before they both had to get back to work on their respective albums. But, going back to work wasn’t in the forefront of Normani and Lauren’s minds, especially since they both had time to themselves in their luxurious home for the week.  

“Do you like the view?” Normani asked from the patio door. Lauren turned her head from the beach and towards Normani, gasping loudly at the sight of her girlfriend. Normani had her hand leaning on the frame of the door way above her head, while her other hand was perched on her hip. She had quickly changed out of her sundress and into another white crochet one which was open down the middle and exposed a skimpy red bikini. Lauren’s jaw slacked, almost salivating at Normani’s dark, toned body glistening in the sun. She licked her lips slowly as her eyes traveled down towards Normani’s breasts. Lauren even let out a quiet moan as her eyes reached Normani’s belly button piercing and protruding v-line from the low cut bottoms. Normani giggled at Lauren’s reaction as she tossed her hair to the side and then rubbed her cherry-painted lips together in a coy grin.  

“I-I think I like this one a little more.” Lauren said, leaning back leisurely on the loveseat.

“Well, you can see this one all the time,” Normani started, walking slowly towards where Lauren was sitting, “We’re paying for the one behind you.”

Lauren chuckled as she picked up the bottle of champagne and set it down on the ground, sitting back up to admire her girlfriend swaying her hips towards her. 

“Now what did you tell me before?” Normani asked flirtatiously, standing right in front of Lauren. The green eyed woman leaned back even further, gulping in an attempt to keep herself from drooling. 

“Hm?” Normani asked, letting her white crochet cover up fall off of her shoulders.

“I wanted some alone time.” Lauren answered in a tone matching that of her girlfriend’s

“Ooooh,” Normani started, “I remember now.” She then tapped her pointer finger on her bottom lip, “Well, it looks like you’ve got it. Now what do you want to do to me?”

Lauren licked her lips again before rubbing her hands on her pair of short shorts, “Do you want me to show you or tell you?” She asked, sitting up in the loveseat.

“Show me.” Normani answered, pursing her lips together in a subtle smirk.

Lauren cocked her head to the side, “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Normani replied quickly, grazing her fingers down her thighs. Before Normani could take one more step towards Lauren, she had already wrapped her arms around the small of Normani’s back, spreading her legs  as she pulled Normani  right up against her inner thighs. 

“Ooh,” Normani moaned in a gasped, “Looks like someone’s a little feisty.”

Lauren nodded quickly, letting out another soft moan.

“I like that.” Normani marveled, putting one knee on each side of Lauren’s body on the loveseat. Lauren pulled Normani closer to her, leaning in to meet her lips in a searing kiss. Lauren’s hands immediately went underneath Normani’s flowing white cover-up and then grazed over the small of her back, moaning fervently against her girlfriend’s lips. 

Normani whined softly, almost shuddering from Lauren’s sudden dominance. 

Normani moaned in between liplocks, gasping slightly once Lauren palmed her ass with both of her hands, “Y-you just couldn’t wait, could you?” Lauren didn’t answer, instead her lips went straight to Normani’s neck, biting harshly at the skin. 

“Is that too rough for you?” Lauren asked raspily, making sure she licked every single spot she bit at. Normani replied with a loud moan as she rolled her hips into Lauren, desperately hoping that she would give her throbbing center a little bit of attention. 

Normani swore again as she ran her fingers through Lauren’s dark hair and shut her eyes to roll them back into her head. Her head slacked backwards as Lauren brought her lips down to her cleavage, licking around it only to bring them back up to her neck. 

“Damn.” The darker woman moaned out again, “I didn’t know you had all of this in you, babe.”

“I guess...you had to just...push me to my...limit.” Lauren replied in between kisses up and down Normani’s neck.

“Well I have to do that more often.” She replied, running her fingers through Lauren’s hair again. Normani moaned out again, bunching up the fabric from Lauren’s muscle tee in her other hand. 

“C’mere.” Lauren said gruffly, pulling Normani closer to her body in another heated kiss.  

Lauren brought her palm back to Normani’s ass in a solid smack, causing Normani to break the kiss to hiss through her teeth and arch her back. 

“Fuck.” She moaned before leaning back into Lauren’s lips. As if Lauren was reading Normani’s mind, she brought her hand to Normani’s center, softly rubbing over the bottoms of her bikini. Normani moaned even louder than before, trying her hardest not to break their kiss again. Lauren continued to rub over her girlfriend’s center, grinning against her lips. At this point, Normani was shaking and throbbing against Lauren’s body, wishing and hoping that Lauren would keep doing what she was doing to her.

“Mani,” Lauren husked, breaking their kiss.

“Yeah?” she answered shakily.

Lauren brought her mouth to Normani’s ear,biting on its lobe softly before asking, “Do you want me to fuck you right here?”

Normani gasped again, bringing Lauren’s head closer to her body with her hand.

“Hm?” Lauren asked, biting her earlobe again.

“Do whatever you want to me.” Normani answered in an exasperated whimper, “It’s all yours.”

“Really?” Lauren wondered, nipping at her girlfriend’s neck. 

“Mhm.” Normani answered in a moan, rolling her hips into Lauren’s hand on her center. 

“It better be.” Lauren said, roughly bringing Normani closer to her and pressing their lips against each other. Right when Lauren started to rub faster against Normani, she immediately slowed as she felt a sudden buzz in her back pocket. She leaned backwards, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“Shit.”

“W-what? What’s wrong?” Normani asked, resting her hands on Lauren’s shoulders.

“It’s my phone.” Lauren groaned, reaching into her back pocket to keep it from vibrating.

“Why can’t you just ignore it?” 

“It might be Candece and them.”

Lauren peered at her phone screen, leaning her head back against the frame of the headboard in frustration, “They’re outside.”   
“Already?!” Normani gasped. Lauren pursed her lips together and nodded.

“Welp, we can finish that later, I guess.” Lauren muttered.

“We have to.” Normani added, stumbling back onto the deck floor, gasping at how much her legs were shaking,

“Oh shit.” Lauren said with a satisfied grin, “I didn’t know you’d be shaking that bad.”

Normani scoffed, still disheveled from their brief but very sexual encounter, “Well, I didn’t know you’d be that dominant, but here I am, shaking and stumbling like Bambi for you.” Normani and Lauren giggled, “I’ll be able to get you back though.”

“Bet.” Lauren said with a smile, standing up next to her girlfriend. Lauren started towards the front door before Normani stopped her with her hand.

“Lauren, wait.”

Lauren turned to Normani, arching her eyebrows, “Hm?”

“My lipstick is all over your face.” Normani said with a giggle, trying to wipe the bright red off of Lauren’s lips, chin, and neck. 

“Dammit, Kordei.” Lauren joked.

“Hey, I thought it would be hot!”

“It is!” Lauren said, tilting her head so Normani could continue wiping off the makeup on her skin, “Just not before people are coming over.”

“At least we caught it this time,” Normani said, “Candece is the one who notices most of the time.”

“Right.” Lauren agreed with a chuckle. Then, she stepped away from Normani asking, “Is this good?”

“Yeah, you’re good.” Normani said, running her eyes over Lauren’s face, “Round two later tonight?”

“Of course, babygirl.”

“Good.” Normani said with a wink before Lauren turned towards the door, leaving her momentarily in the deck. She grabbed the unopened bottle of champagne and followed her girlfriend, carefully sliding the door closed behind her. 

\---

Later that afternoon once everyone had arrived, they spent the rest of day out on the private beach. As they took turns tending the bar back inside of the house, they sat out in the sun enjoying their relaxation time together. Matt and Ally were right at the shore, wading in between the deep blue waves as they tossed a football back and forth between them. Lauren and Normani were sprawled out in two beach chairs, closing their eyes underneath the beating sun and Candece was sat on the patio reading a cheesy self-help novel. 

“Lauren do you want me to make a drink for you?” Dinah asked, pointing her finger back to the open sliding door in the house. Lauren opened her eyes and  looked back at Normani’s personal assistant and nodded quickly, forcing to smile at her.

“Yes please, on the rocks.” 

“Gotcha.” Dinah turned back towards the house, hustling through the sand and wrapping her cover up over her tight one piece swimsuit. 

Over the bachata music blaring over Lauren’s portable speakers, she turned back to her girlfriend and asked, “I didn’t know she knew how to bartend too.”

“Yeah, and she’s good too.” Normani replied, leaning back into her beach chair. She put her sunglasses back over her eyes and sunk her feet into the sand, bathing in the sun. 

“Don’t sit out with your sunglasses on for too long,” Matt advised, walking over to Lauren and Normani, tossing a football covered in sand in his hands, “Farmers tans are hard to get rid of.” 

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Normani said, taking a sip from her mojito, “Because this sun is killing me.” 

“Your choice.” Matt added with a chuckle.

“Just turn over!” Lauren cried out with a giggle. Normani leaned up, pulling her sunglasses off the bridge of her nose. 

“I bet you’re saying that just because you wanna see my ass.” 

“I mean...” Lauren put her hands up, “I’m not disagreeing with that either.”

“Mhm.” Normani said, playfully rolling her eyes before turning over in the beach chair. 

“So who’s cooking dinner tonight?” Matt asked, continuing to flip the football around in his hands. 

“I think I might grill some burgers.” Normani muffled. 

“Well...” Matt pursed his lips together,   “Looks like I won’t be eating then.”

“And what do you mean by that, Matthew?!” Normani asked in an offended gasp, flipping back over on the beach chair. 

“Mani, you can’t cook and you know it!” Matt said lightly, “The last time you cooked burgers, the inside was redder than your swimsuit.”

“Please.” Normani scoffed, rolling her eyes again, “I can cook a little something for you guys, my cooking isn’t all that bad...I make gumbo for y’all all the time!”

“Yeah, from your grandma’s recipe!” Matt retorted

“And if  you do cook, you’re just gonna have to stick to Ramen Noodles babe.” Lauren said, reaching over to pat Normani’s thigh.

“Oh, shut up.” 

“Here you go Lauren!” Dinah exclaimed, handing off a cold mojito to Lauren.

“Aw, thank you Dinah.” Lauren replied, taking the glass into her hands, “This looks great.”

“Do you want one, Matt?” Dinah asked, pointing to Normani’s manager. The tall man shook his head, replying a quiet, “No, thank you.” 

The conversation fell to a brief silence. Ally walked from the shore, joining Dinah and Matt  by Lauren and Normani’s beach chairs. 

“Who mentioned dinner?” Ally asked, running her fingers through her dark and wavy brown hair. 

“Normani has just volunteered to grill burgers for us.” Lauren said matter of factly.

Ally pursed her lips together just like Matt did earlier, only to question, “Are you...joking?”

“No!” Normani yelled out with a giggle, “Have some faith in me guys, I can do it.”

The others laughed heartedly before Ally said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of dinner for you.”

Normani slumped back into the beach chair, exasperatedly crossing her arms. 

“Don’t worry mama,” Lauren said, patting Normani’s thighs again,  “You’ll have more chances we just don’t want food poisoning on our vacation.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Normani groaned.

“I guess that means I’ll have to start preparing then.” Ally said, turning to walk back inside the house.

“Do you need any help?” Matt asked sweetly.

“Yes, please!” Ally cried back.Matt scurried behind the short woman, taking her hand as he followed her right into the kitchen. 

 

“So,” Dinah started, “was Candece lying about going to the club sometime this week?”

“I hope not.” Normani replied, shifting up in the beach chair, “Since  I brought so many dresses, we’re gonna have to.”

“Right!” Dinah agreed, nodding her head.

“Lauren would definitely have to come with us,” Normani turned to her girlfriend, “Do you want to?”

Lauren sighed and avoided both of their eye contact. She shifted up in her beach chair, pressing her lips together.

“Uhm...” Lauren groaned out.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Dinah mentioned.

“I mean I want to...kind of. I just want to...like-”

“Relax?” Normani asked.

“Yeah.” Lauren answered meekly, still avoiding eye contact, “For now at least.”   
“Aww,” Normani whined with a pout, “Alright.”

The conversation between the three women dwindled down as the rush of the waves filled in their awkward silence. Lauren licked her lips together before she sat up on the edge of the beach chair, taking a sip from her mojito. 

“I-I’m gonna go inside and help Ally real quick.” Lauren stood up on the sand, swaying away from her girlfriend and her assistant. Normani and Dinah exchanged confused expressions as they watched Lauren slide back into the house, keeping her head down and away from the others. 

 

 Lauren walked straight past the kitchen by the time she was back inside the house. Lauren ignored Ally, Candece, and Matt’s attempts to start a conversation. She then turned into her and Normani’s bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Lauren carefully set down her mojito on the bedside counter and sat quietly on the bed’s corner. She peered out of the bedroom’s open window, looking at Dinah out on the beach by herself. Before Lauren could wonder as to where Normani was, she opened the bedroom door, peeking into it. Lauren let out a deep sigh as she slowly leaned back onto the bed.

“Lauren?” 

“Hm.” Lauren replied stalely. 

“Are you okay?” Normani asked softly, climbing into the bed to lay next to her girlfriend, “What’s wrong?”

Lauren laid quietly, blatantly ignoring Normani.

“Lauren...don’t be like this, you can always talk to me.” Lauren let out a deep sigh before sitting back up on the corner of the bed. Normani followed, resting her hand on her girlfriend’s thigh. 

“I’m just...” Lauren paused again, “I just keep...I feel like I shouldn’t and I’m making a big...” She sighed, “I don’t know.”

“No tell me, it’s okay.” Normani assured, grazing her hand on Lauren’s thigh.

“I just...I just keep thinking about what I,” She took another breath, “What I saw you and Dinah doing before the VMAs.”

“Oh..that? That’s it?” Normani asked, scrunching her nose up in a confused expression.

“I mean I can’t help that at all.” Lauren said, “Especially since it’s  just been rubbing me the wrong way...and it’s been making me think things that I don’t want to.”

“Lauren, you’re reading way too deep into that.” Normani replied, “It was never intended to be that serious, you’re making a big deal out of something so little li-.”

“You might think dancing on someone is little but not me...you’re my girlfriend for crying out loud, shit like that’s gonna look questionable to me and you fucking know that.”

“Questionable?” Normani asked, standing up from the bed, “I was just dancing, baby!”

“With an ex-stripper that you’re definitely sexually attracted to? Yeah right.” Lauren said, rolling her neck, “I’m not trying to have a big argument on our vacation Normani! I just want...I just want something to be done  about that.”

“What you want me to fire the girl over a dance?”

“No! An apology maybe?!” Lauren cried out, sitting up from the bed, “And some professionalism at least?!”

“Oh..pfft.” Normani scoffed, leaning away from her, “You’re the one to talk about professionalism.”

“Really, Mani?!” Lauren asked, crossing her arms, “That’s what you do when you’re mad?”

“I’m not mad I’m just...baffled by the fact that you think there’s something going on!” Normani exclaimed, “When I put myself in your shoes, I get why you’re upset b-”

“So you should apologize!”

“I’m sorry!” Normani cried out, “I’m sorry and I won’t let it happen again especially since it’s making you this fucking heated.” 

“You being so defensive and you avoiding your apology is what makes me heated. If you understood and apologized right then I wouldn’t be yelling right now!”

“Well maybe if you would just give me a chance to trust me then none of this would have happened, Lauren.” Normani yelled back. Lauren looked down at the ground, avoiding Normani’s eyes right on hers. The room fell to a silence as the anger between them sizzled out with just one sentence, “I’m not trying to force you into the wrong, Lauren.” She paused to sigh in an attempt to collect her thoughts, “I can be stubborn and I apologize for getting like that. It’s just... shocking to know that you think so low of me like...why would I even contemplate doing that to you especially when you and I both know how much you mean to me?” Lauren’s head sunk down, “After all of the bullshit I put you through I don't even want to go into that realm ever again and you know how heavily that weighs on me, Lauren.”

Lauren rolled her tongue in her cheek before Normani continued, “I know for a fact that we have had rough times with trusting each other in the past, but it should stay there.” She paused to look into Lauren’s bottle green eyes, “Do you remember what I told you on your birthday?” Lauren sat quietly, “I told you that I can't guarantee that we will be perfect at all times but I feel strongly enough not to let you get away from me again. Did you think I was lying?”

Lauren licked her lips and peered down to the ground, ignoring Normani’s question. 

“Lauren.” Normani said sternly, “Did you think I was lying?”

“Well, it's not like you haven't lied before.” 

“You've got to be fucking kidding me.” Normani snarled, shaking her head with a low frown. Before Lauren could reply, Normani stormed out of their bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Lauren took another deep sigh, wiping her eyes as  she slowly leaned back onto the bed. 

  
  


 That night, they blatantly ignored each other. Lauren and Normani sat on separate ends of the table during dinner, they talked to everyone but each other, and that night, they ended up sleeping separately. Normani purposefully sprawled herself across the entire bed to prohibit Lauren from joining her so as a result, the green eyed woman slept in the pull out bed in the living room. The only thing that they did do together was contemplate what had occurred that afternoon and who was really wrong and who was really right. Normani felt bad for making Lauren believe that she was in the wrong for having a plain concern but what infuriated her was Lauren blatantly ignoring Normani’s vow to be as open as possible in their relationship. A side of Normani didn't blame her for having an issue with her dancing on Dinah and her being worried about who they were because of what happened in the past but the other side of Normani hated Lauren for being worried about it, knowing that Normani’s misdoings were meant to stay in the past, especially since they agreed on that a month ago. Lauren on the other hand, felt justified to tell Normani her concerns, but she quickly realized that she should have kept in mind that Normani wasn't the same person in the spring than she was now in the latter part of the summer; she should never have doubted her and her ability to tell the truth, especially during this new phase of their relationship. Lauren didn't want to prolong things at all, especially while on their congratulatory vacation, so she decided to push her pride in record time and took matters into her own hands that next morning.

 

“Normani...” Lauren whispered in a sing-songy voice, stepping carefully into their bedroom, trying not to lose her balance, “May I come in?”

Normani grunted in response, still sprawled across the queen sized-bed. She was face down with her head towards the open window, sleeping peacefully. 

“Mani?”

“What?” Normani grumbled softly. 

“I have something for you.” Lauren added, setting down her tray on the unoccupied side of the bed. Lauren then rubbed her hand on her shoulder, “Wake up, I have breakfast.” 

“Hm?” Normani groaned.

“I have breakfast for you.” Lauren repeated with a lighthearted chuckle. Normani cracked her eyes open slightly, just to roll them and scrunch her nose in an expression of discomfort.

“Oh quit pretending to have an attitude, I know you’re hungry.” Lauren scoffed. Normani then spread her lips into a smile, giggling as she slowly opened her eyes that immediately met with Lauren’s. She shifted in the bed and sat up on its headboard, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Once her eyes adjusted to the light of the morning sun seeping through the window, she noticed her girlfriend on the foot of the bed, clad in a pearl white bathrobe. Normani’s eyes wondered down to a neatly presented tray full of fresh food; a bowl full of Normani’s favorite fruits, a plate of toast, scrambled eggs, and sausage topped off with a glass of fresh orange juice. 

“What’s this for?” Normani asked in her soft, sleepy voice.

“For you.” Lauren said happily.

“Yeah, I know that,” Normani said, patting her hair through her satin headwrap, “But why?”

“Well to put it plainly...this is a ‘I apologize for doubting you’ breakfast.”

Normani shook her head and chuckled lightly.

“No Mani, I’m serious.” Lauren climbed into the bed to sit next to her girlfriend, “I just...I was thinking about what you said yesterday and to say the least, I felt really bad for questioning you. I felt awful about it and I should’ve just, you know, trusted your intentions. Yeah, I was using what happened in the past as a way to give an example but things have changed so much since then, it’s not fair to do that to you. And I know how bad you felt about what happened so I shouldn’t have used that against you. So, I’m so sorry Normani.”

Normani pulled the tray of breakfast onto her lap and looked up at her girlfriend with a genuine grin, “I forgive you, Lauren.”   Normani took a piece of fruit into her mouth, “I hope it didn’t sound like I was forcing you into the bad guy’s position I just was pissed off because I told you how I felt and I was being so earnest with you but you still brought up something so old that it hurt me.”

Lauren swung her head downwards, pursing her lips together.

“But like I said back on your birthday, how this relationship goes is on us.” 

Lauren nodded in response.

“So I’m sorry for erasing your discomfort I shouldn't have been an asshole about it.”

Normani said.

“It’s okay, I understand why you’d get so frustrated.”   
“And just to be clear,” Normani started, taking a sip from her orange juice, “I want you to know that I am all in with us. I want to tell you clearly that...I’m 100% invested into us and I’m going to give my 100%...I’ll give my 110% to be exact...as always.”

Lauren grinned, “Thank you for reiterating, Mani.” 

“And I promise you it’s not just lip service, baby.” Normani reached her hand out to carefully put a strand of hair behind Lauren’s ear. The Latina blushed, biting her lip as she watched her girlfriend smile at her.

“So are we...good?” Lauren squeaked.

“Do you think we are?” Normani asked, digging into her breakfast.

Lauren nodded, watching her girlfriend scarf down another piece of toast.

“Then we’re good.” Normani said with a full mouth. 

“Good.” 

“And thank you for this breakfast babe, it’s delicious.” Normani praised, taking a sip from her orange juice.

“It’s honestly the least I could do.” Lauren said, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on Normani’s cheek. 

“You’re a sweetheart.” Normani said, finishing off her bowl of fruit. She turned to place the now foodless tray on her bedside counter. Normani let out a long sigh before she turned back to her girlfriend. 

“You finished that quickly?” Lauren asked.

“I just wanted to finish eating so I could properly kiss you, if I’m being honest.” Normani said.

“Well...” Lauren said, “Nothing is stopping you.”

Normani giggled before she leaned slowly into Lauren’s lips, kissing them softly. Normani sighed in relief through her nose, moaning calmly against Lauren’s lips. She immediately grazed her tongue across Lauren’s bottom lip, resting her hands on her girlfriend’s cheeks. 

“Before you get carried away,” Lauren asked breathily, breaking their calm kiss, “We only have a few until our taxi comes.”

Normani jolted backwards, crying out, “Taxi?!”

“Mhm!”

“Where are we going?” Normani asked, resting her hand on her headscarf.

“I found this really cool marketplace just outside of town, it's right by a waterfall and everything. I thought that you and I could go on a little adventure today.”

“Wait...it's just us?” Normani asked.

“Just us.” 

Normani slowly spread her lips into a wide grin, smirking with her pearly white teeth. 

“Awwwww.” Normani said, “That's so cute! I'm excited.” Normani bit her lip and smiled again, “When do we leave?”

“11” 

“Oh,” Normani started flirtatiously, wrapping her hands around Lauren’s neck, “So we have a little bit of time then, huh?”

“About 30 minutes or so,” Lauren said as Normani began to lean closer to her, “And you know how long you shower so I don't think sex is in the picture right now.” 

“Humph.” Normani groaned, leaning back onto the headboard, “You're right.”

“Exactly.” Lauren said, “Now go take a shower I don't want to be late.”

“Alright, alright, alright.” Normani replied, inching out of her bed, exposing her naked body to her girlfriend. 

Lauren sat back, adoring the view before Normani vanished from her sight and into the bathroom. Lauren then smiled to herself and sat with her back against the headboard, peering out the window and sighing at the relaxing view. 

  
  


Moments later, Normani and Lauren were walking out of their elegant home and towards a taxi parked on the end of its long driveway. Lauren bustled in front of Normani to swing the taxi door open for her. Normani grinned as she climbed inside of the vehicle, and Lauren followed, placing her backpack in between them. 

“Where are we going today?” The driver asked in a thick Dominican accent. 

“Mercado Modelo, por favor.” Lauren asked politely, turning to her girlfriend.

“You're wearing your swimsuit under your shirt, right?” Normani asked, inching closer to Lauren in the backseat. Her girlfriend nodded enthusiastically, pushing her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. The driver switched the gear and began to drive out towards the town. 

“¿Sabías que hay una cascada por ese mercado?” He asked, looking to Lauren in the mirror.

“Sí, sí.” Lauren affirmed, winking to her girlfriend. 

“¿Tú amiga sabe?” 

“Sí, la dije pero...ella no habla español.”

“¿En serio?” He asked astonishedly. Lauren nodded in response.

“Por dios, I thought you were dominicana!” the driver said, looking towards Normani, “I'm sorry bonita.” 

“Oh, it's fine!” Normani assured, even though she had no idea what the driver and Lauren were talking about. 

“I was just telling her if you knew that there is a waterfall by this marketplace.”

“Yeah, I heard!” Normani replied enthusiastically, “Have you ever been?” 

“I went once with my friends when we were in colegio...they were going to pay me if I jumped in naked.”

“And did you?” Lauren asked after a giggle.

“Of course!” The driver said, “It's free money.” 

Normani and Lauren laughed along with the driver before he continued the conversation.

“It’s very very beautiful and of course it’s very safe, the water wasn’t that deep when I’d jump in.” He paused, “And there's a shortcut to get up there, you just have to go through an alley in between the bracelet shop and the fruta market.” The driver nodded, “And then you take a right, go up the hill, take a left and it'll be right there. It's so much quicker than the arrows throughout the market.”

“Oh really?” 

“Mhm! Very very quick!” 

“Oh wow, thank you!” Normani thanked.

“De nada, bonitas.” He said.

“So,” Lauren started, “Do you have any favorite shops in the market?” 

“Ay!” The driver exclaimed, “There is this tiendita right across from the bracelet shop...they have the best mamajuanas.”

“¿Qué son?” Lauren asked.

“Hmm, it's hard to explain in English but it's como...como una mezcla.”

“Mixture of what?”

“Son...son a mix of tree bark and herbs and they're soaked with honey, red wine, y ron.” 

“Ron?” Normani asked, furrowing her eyebrows quizzically.

“Rum.” Lauren said, with a satisfied nod.

“That sounds intense.” Normani said in a chuckle.

“Sí, sí,” the driver agreed, “It's like our medicina here! They're the cure for everything, I promise you.” 

“We’re definitely gonna try that then.” Lauren said.

“Some people think that they're-Um how do I pronounce it- they're like...ap...aphro...aphro,” He paused to take a turn into another road, “Ah! Aphrodisiac is the word!” 

“Oh really?” Lauren asked suggestively.

“ _ Some  _ people, Bonita.” The driver said in a laugh, “like I said, it's the cure for everything! Es como our own Viagra, NyQuil, Advil...es todo...everything!”

Lauren and Normani laughed along with the driver as he continued to drive along the pavement. 

  
  
  


“I took a shortcut, so we are very close.” The driver admitted, taking another turn. 

“Ah that was quick then!” Normani said, peering out the window and noticing the outdoor market in the distance.

“They don't look that crowded today.” Lauren said.

“It's probably because it's in the afternoon in the middle of the week,” the driver said, “You wouldn't believe how crowded the market is on Saturdays.”

“I bet.” Lauren said, leaning forwards as the driver halted to a stop in front of the market, “Thank you so much! What's your name?”

“Romeo.” The driver replied. 

“Ah, ok Romeo, it was nice to talk to you!” Lauren handed him the money for their ride as well as a big tip, “Have a great day.”

“You too!” He said. Lauren opened the door and slid out onto the pavement as Normani followed behind her, “You have a nice trip! Don't forget to try the mamajuana!”

“We won't!” Normani assured, waving to Romeo before shutting the taxi door. He waved back through the tinted windows before he sped off down the street, leaving their sight.

Lauren and Normani turned towards the outdoor market, grinning at some of the shoppers walking past the merchant’s tents. It felt as if the sun was right in the middle of the market, beating down on the both of them. Lauren hummed along with the bachata music blaring through the speakers placed throughout the whole plaza, looking around all of the other stores inside of it. 

“I hope you'll translate for me.” Normani said, turning to her girlfriend.

“Of course I will.” Lauren replied, “Since you love to hear me speak it so much.” She winked as Normani shook her head, showing off her teeth in a genuine smile.  

The couple spent a big part of their afternoon walking through each and every tent, meeting new people and buying things for their families or for each other. At the bracelet shop Romeo recommended to them, Lauren bought matching jewelry for her goddaughters as well as two red and white bracelets with embroidered roses woven throughout for her and Normani. They even bought more fruit to bring back to the house as well as a full bottle of mamajuana to drink out at the waterfall they planned on going to once Normani was done looking through every single shop throughout the market. 

 

“Here, let me tighten it for you.” Lauren said, putting the bottle of mamajuana in between her legs to retie the ends of Normani’s bracelet that Lauren bought for her.

“It’s so adorable” Normani said, admiring the sewn roses wrapped around the cloth, “You really can’t get this anywhere at home, thank you Lauren.”

“Anything for you.” Lauren replied, tightening the ends before putting the bottle back into her hands. The couple continued to walk in the middle of the market, looking for the shortcut to the waterfall on the side of the plaza. 

“I hope we aren’t setting ourselves up by buying the oldest bottle we could find.” Lauren said, looking through the contents inside of it.

“We don’t have to drink it all.” Normani said, looking at it, “I mean I’m sure Candece will appreciate it.”   
“Yeah, it does look like something she’d down.” Lauren added with a giggle, looking up to point to the alley Romeo told them to go through in order to get to the waterfall. Normani followed, pushing her sunglasses up on her nose. Once they began to walk through the alley, Normani wrapped her arm around Lauren’s bicep and placed her head on her shoulder. 

“What’s this for?” Lauren asked, turning to look at her girlfriend.

“I’m just feeling very affectionate that’s all.” 

“Hm,” Lauren answered, looking forward along the pavement, “You didn’t sneak a swig of the mamajuana did you?”   
“What makes you say that?!” Normani asked, giggling slightly.

“Well, Romeo  _ did  _ say it was an aphrodisiac.”

“Oh shut up.” Normani scoffed, playfully slapping Lauren’s arm, “Let me be affectionate to my girlfriend  in peace.”   
“Well, I’m not complaining.” Lauren admitted, continuing to follow Romeo’s directions through the empty back roads. 

Normani looked up at all of the palm trees stretched over the sides of each shop as she grazed her fingers against their drooping leaves, admiring the beauty of the town. Lauren looked on as they walked in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Everything that stemmed from their argument that night before seemed to disappear overnight and now, they were even better than they were when they had arrived. It felt great to be with each other and they could never wipe the smiles across their faces because of it.

“Do you hear that?” Lauren asked excitedly, snapping her girlfriend out of her peaceful trance.

“Hear what?”   
“I hear water running, I think we’re close.” Lauren took their last direction change of the path and immediately stopped in her tracks. She gasped at the sight, tightening the grip on her girlfriend’s hand. 

Right in front of a slight hill, the waterfall was surrounded by tall trees and short rock cliffs. Water cascaded down the 12 foot fall, splashing down into the quarry and reflecting the sweltering sun’s light. The sounds from the market were now completely drowned out and were now replaced with the constant rush of water flying down from its fall. Thankfully, the area was completely unoccupied, leaving Lauren and Normani with an afternoon by themselves out in the sun.

“This is beautiful!” Normani admired, stopping on the top of a rock cliff. She peered over the edge and looked down in the clear blue water.

“How deep do you think it is?”

“It can’t be too bad.” Lauren said, peering over the edge with Normani, “Wanna jump in?”

Normani looked back at Lauren with her eyebrows furrowed, “Lauren, this jump is almost as high as the waterfall, hell no I'm not jumping with you.”

“Why not? It'll be fun!” Lauren assured, slinging her backpack off of her shoulders, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!” She took the bottle of mamajuana into her hands, unscrewing the top. Normani stepped back from the edge of the cliff and latched her eyes onto Lauren, who was now taking a long sip straight from the bottle. 

As her lips detached from the bottle’s lip, Normani giggled as she watched her girlfriend grimace at the taste. 

“You gotta swallow it now!” Normani said in between laughs. Lauren put her hand into a fist and pressed it against her lips, forcing herself to swallow.

“Shit!” She swore, smacking and licking her lips, “That's intense!” 

“Is it good?” Normani asked, taking the bottle from Lauren’s hands.

“It's an acquired taste.” Lauren said with a slow nod. Normani shrugged before she brought the bottle to her lips, taking a huge gulp.

“Damn, don't take too much now, it's strong.” 

Normani pulled the bottle away from her, and nodded, grimacing just like Lauren did moments before. 

“You weren't joking.” Normani replied hoarsely after gulping it down, “It's kinda good though...I just drank a little too much for a first try.” Normani leaned the bottle towards Lauren’s way, who then took it from her grip to take another swig.

“No shit.” Lauren said, taking a sip. Normani then brought her hands to the hem of her muscle tee shirt and pulled it over her torso, revealing a nude brown crochet bikini top underneath. Lauren's eyes shut from the intensity of the alcoholic specialty. She brought her fist to her lips again to swallow and then opened her eyes to her girlfriend clad in the crochet bikini and dropped her jaw. 

“ _ Fuck.” _ Lauren marveled in a subtle moan, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth as her eyes scanned Normani’s glistening body. The nude bikini top only covered half of her chest as Normani’s nipple piercings protruded through its crocheted pattern.  

“You're not gonna jump in?” Lauren asked, staring at Normani’s chest while twisting the cap back on the bottle. Normani looked back at Lauren and placed her hand on her hip.

“I'm scared!” Normani said, smiling shyly “Do you see how high this cliff is?!”

“Yes! And that's only gonna make it better!” Lauren replied, pulling her t-shirt over her head. 

“Easy for you to say.” Normani said, rolling her eyes.

“Mhmm.” Lauren stepped out of her shorts, adjusting the straps on her black bikini before tossing her sunglasses on her backpack. 

“C’mere, Mani.” Lauren ordered, reaching her hand out. Normani apprehensively took Lauren's hands into hers, stepping closer to her girlfriend.

“We’re doing this, c’mon.”

“No!” Mani protested as she continued to step closer to the edge of the cliff, “It's too high.” 

“No it's not!” Lauren replied calmly, resting her hand on Normani’s waist, “I'll even jump with you.” 

“Lauren I swear if you push me in here, you're not stepping foot into our apartment back home ever again.” Lauren laughed, “I fucking mean it, it's not funny!”

“You're taking things too seriously Mani what are you scared of?” Lauren asked as she laughed at Normani’s worried expression. Then, Lauren stepped closer to the edge, bringing Normani closer to her body. Normani let a piercing squeal before Lauren assured, “I've got you Mani, don't worry.” She quickly pressed her lips to the darker woman’s cheek, “I got you.” 

Normani shook her head profusely, glaring down at the water. 

“Lauren I swear if you fucking push me off of this th-”

“I'm not, Mani!” Lauren said loudly.

“No I'm serious if you-”

“I'm not!” Lauren protested sternly, “Do you trust me or not?”

Normani ceased her screaming and squirming, letting her face relax to an anxious frown. They fell to a calm silence as the waterfall filled the pause in between their conversation. Normani’s body relaxed against Lauren’s, as she took a deep sigh, bringing her lips into a forced grin.

“I trust you.” She said confidently, smiling coyly. 

“Good,” Lauren said, rubbing her waist, “We’re gonna go on the count of three, okay?”

Normani nodded her head, leaning down with Lauren to prepare for their jump.

“One...” Lauren and Normani squatted down, “Two...” Normani let out a quiet squeal, snapping her eyes shut, “Three!” They both stepped forward and jumped off of the cliff, holding each other's hand as they flew through the air. Normani plugged her nose with her other hand, screaming as her stomach turned. Lauren screamed right along with her as her veins began to course with adrenaline.

The both of them then submerged through the water, as the muffled sounds of the waterfall sprang into their ears. The cold rush of water wrapped around them in a chilling embrace, pushing  them back to the surface. 

They both gasped as they reached the air again, wiping their eyes and giggling together.

“That wasn't that bad, right?” Lauren said, wiping her face.

“Not at all...I kinda wanna do it again.” Normani said, paddling below the water  so that she'd stay afloat.

“So you're glad that you did it, then?”

“Of course.” Normani replied.  They swam closer to the waterfall, trying to get as close as they could before they were pelted with the water taking its twelve foot dip. Lauren looked up, squinting her eyes at the sun and admiring the peaceful scene.

“It's so beautiful down here.” Lauren admired, turning to her girlfriend so she could meet her rich brown eyes. The water slicked around their shoulders as their legs paddled beneath the surface during their brief embrace. The ruffling sounds of the palm trees and the waterfall filled their silence as they continued to look into each other’s eyes lovingly. 

“I never want to leave.” Normani said as she slowly wrapped her arms around Lauren’s neck. As a response, Lauren wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist, bringing her closer to her body. 

Once the tips of their toes hit the bottom of the shallow waters, Lauren leaned closer to Normani and whispered softly into her ear, “I think it's kicking in.”

“What do you mean?” Normani asked flirtatiously , slightly leaning back so she could peer into Lauren’s eyes.

“What we drank up on the cliff.” Lauren replied, cocking her head back up to one of the rock cliffs.

“Oh, shut up.” Normani scoffed, “You're just horny because you haven't gotten any ever since we came here.”

“And I have a right to be, don't I?” Lauren asked, leaning down as she began to plant soft kisses on Normani’s neck, “Besides, that would be quite the story.” She added raspily, knowing that her deeper voice drove Normani wild.

“Hm?” Normani asked feebishly, discreetly urging her girlfriend to keep going by placing her hand softly on her head. 

“Who can say that they had sex by a waterfall?” Lauren asked before biting at Normani’s neck, causing her gasp sharply. Lauren continued to lick through the beads of water and sweat against Normani’s neck, keeping her close to her as they waded through the water.

“You plead a very..c-convincing case.” Normani said with her voice cracking slightly. 

“Mhm..” Lauren moaned against her skin. Normani then ran her hand through Lauren's now wet hair as she let out short, quiet whimpers. Right as Normani’s whimpers got louder, Lauren detached her lips from her girlfriend’s neck and peered over her shoulder, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked for the water’s edge. 

“Hm?” Normani asked, still closing her eyes waiting for Lauren to return to kissing her neck. Lauren then smirked playfully before she resumed kissing along Normani’s body, gracefully pushing her weight against her until they met the water’s edge.

 

Lauren then worked her way back up Normani’s jaw, arching her eyebrow knowingly at her short whimpers of desire. Finally, their lips met in a searing kiss as their hands roamed both of their half-naked bodies. Lauren didn’t waste time in parting her girlfriend’s lips with her tongue, letting it collide fiercely with Normani’s.

“Shit, Lauren.” Normani swore in between kisses, gracefully bringing her legs up through the water and wrapping them around Lauren’s bottom. Instinctively, Lauren’s hands travelled downwards to cup Normani’s ass, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth, giving it a quick nip before diving back into her mouth. 

Lauren then perched Normani upon the rock ledge centimeters above the water’s surface, placing her carefully on the smooth, damp stone. Normani whimpered at the burst of cold air that spread across her thighs that were now above the water. Lauren looked up at Normani, detaching from her lips to smirk at her once more. Normani pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, losing herself in Lauren’s bottle green eyes.Normani was almost startled by the expression in Lauren’s eyes: she’d never seen this side of her. And to say the very least, Normani found this side much more arousing than normal.  

Lauren then brought her lips back to Normani’s neck, kissing, biting, and licking down to her collarbone. She pulled at her skin in between her teeth, moaning against her wet, sun kissed skin, knowing that Normani wanted more. 

“Damn, Lauren.” Normani whispered in between sharp breaths over the rush of the waterfall. Lauren’s lips went past her girlfriend’s collarbone and down her cleavage, reaching closer and closer to her breasts. Normani’s hands rested at Lauren’s shoulders, grazing across her back, softly scratching her nails along it. She then desperately pulled her fingers down on the hem of her bikini top, exposing her breasts to her girlfriend. Lauren moaned out to her , latching her lips onto Normani’s pierced nipple. She swirled her tongue around the curved piercing’s bead, listening to Normani moan and whimper completely under Lauren’s tidalating spell.

“Fuck.” Normani moaned out, silently begging Lauren to alleviate her pulsating center. With her lips still latched onto her nipple, Lauren leaned forward and slid her hand into Normani’s bottoms, pressing slightly on her slit. Normani looked down at Lauren and saw her looking straight at her, arching her eyebrow knowingly. 

“Damn.” Normani moaned out, inhaling through her teeth, “What’s gotten into you?” 

“You like it, don’t you?” Lauren asked sharply, pressing harder into her slit. Normani gasped, slowly rolling her waist into Lauren’s hand.

“Mhm...mhm.” Normani agreed, nodding her head quickly. 

Lauren took her lips off of Normani’s chest and stretched up to Normani’s face, softly kissing her lips.

“You better hope nobody is watching us right now.” Normani warned, with her chest heaving from short breath. 

“Why?” Lauren asked, cocking her head to the side, “It’ll be a great show.” 

“Fuck you.” Normani answered in a scoff, smirking before Lauren brought her lips back to Normani’s, gracefully sliding her tongue between them. Lauren moaned softly against her girlfriend’s lips as their tongues swirled around each others. Normani brought her hand up to the back of Lauren’s head,  as Lauren began to rub her fingers against Normani’s clit. 

“ _ Ssssshit.”  _  Normani hissed after breaking their urgent kiss, “Right there.”  Lauren continued to rub over Normani’s clit, purposefully  touching with just enough pressure for Normani to tolerate. 

“More...” The darker woman begged, “More...please, baby...please.”

Lauren obliged, sliding her middle finger from her clit right down to her entrance. Normani let out a sharp gasp, rolling her hips in an attempt to get Lauren’s finger inside of her.

“Lauren...” Normani whined raspily, thrusting her hips into her girlfriend's hand, “Please....I want it so fucking bad.” 

“Want what?” Lauren asked arrogantly with her middle and ring finger still pressed upon her entrance and her thumb circling around her clit.

“Lauren,” Normani pleaded, draping her arm over the side of her face, biting the inside of her bicep to hold in her moans, “I just want you inside...for fuck’s sake.” 

“That's all you had to say, baby.” Lauren said, sinking her two fingers into Normani. The darker woman let out a sharp gasp, leaning back onto her palms on the smooth rock. The sun hit her arched body perfectly, letting her skin glow underneath it's light.

“Ssssshit!” She hissed as Lauren began to pump her fingers inside of her. The green eyed woman brought her lips in between her teeth, looking down to look at Normani’s flesh accommodating her fingers  underneath the thin bikini bottom. 

Lauren then brought her lips to another side of Normani’s neck, biting and sucking on it harder than before.

“Lauren!” Normani exclaimed in a sharp gasp, wrapping her legs around her girlfriend’s body, arching her back as Lauren rubbed on the swollen patch inside of her. Lauren worked her lips back up to Normani’s ear, breathing cool air across it, causing Normani to shudder against her.

“Mani, I want you to come for me so bad.” Lauren rasped, working her fingers deeper inside of Normani. 

Normani groaned out Lauren’s name in response, rolling her hips into her girlfriend's hand.

“Lauren if....if you keep talking like that, I'm not gonna last very long.” Lauren dug deeper as a response, biting down on Normani’s neck. 

“Well we don't want that, do we?” Lauren whispered, wrapping her other arm around the small of Normani’s back. Lauren brought her head up to Normani’s eyes, pushing against her back.

Normani moved  closer and closer to the edge of the smooth rock she was hoisted upon. Her chest was still heaving and her head was still leaned backwards with her hooded eyes silently begging Lauren to keep doing what she was doing inside of her.

“Is that it?” Lauren asked in a soft whisper, circling faster around her girlfriend’s clit. 

Normani nodded, closing her eyes to focus on the burning sensation Lauren was giving her.

“Keep going, I think I'm........  _ Fuck.”  _ Normani marveled, bringing one of her hands to go through Lauren’s wet hair, “Lauren...please.”

Lauren could already sense Normani’s release about to wash over her, so she continued to pump her fingers right against the spot that made her squirm. Despite her burning forearm, Lauren kept rubbing inside of her, feeling Normani’s muscles contract more and more the faster she went. 

“Lauren, right there, I'm so fucking close for you.” 

Normani began to roll her hips faster and faster into Lauren’s hand, biting hard down on her lip in an attempt to anticipate her release. 

But before she could even moan her girlfriend’s name again, Lauren stopped. 

Normani let out a meek gasp, snapping her eyes down to Lauren, who was already clad with a mischievous grin. 

“Shit, Lauren! What the fuck was that f-”

Before Normani could finish her sentence, Lauren's lips were clamped down on her clit as she licked around and across it with unwavering speed. 

Normani let out a deep grunt, slowly lifting her leg out of the water and placing it on top of Lauren's shoulder.

“Shit!” She exclaimed as Lauren started to run that spot inside of her again. 

  
  


“God you're so wet,” Lauren moaned against Normani’s clit, deliberately working her into a frenzy. Normani kept running and pulling her fingers through Lauren’s hair, urging her to keep going. 

Lauren’s tongue stroked up and down Normani’s slit, stopping momentarily to circle around her pulsating clit. 

Lauren moaned against her center, pressing against the spot inside of her deeper than before.

“Lauren!” Normani exclaimed, “D-don't stop.” 

Lauren continued to wrap her tongue around her clit, knowing that it was driving Normani crazy. She squirmed and shuddered on top of the rock, pulling her lip between her teeth to anticipate her powerful release. Normani then brought her hand up to cup her breast, pressing upon her pierced nipple in a desperate attempt to drive herself closer to the edge. 

Lauren continued to lick relentlessly around her center, moaning against it as she felt Normani squeeze against her fingers inside of her. 

Normani breathed in between her teeth, arching her back with her hand bunched around Lauren's hair. 

“Lauren, I'm g-gonna c-c... _ Shit.”  _

Lauren dug deeper and deeper inside of her girlfriend, pushing her even further over the edge. Normani’s desperate moans became louder, eventually overpowering the rush of the waterfall.

“Lauren!” Normani let out in a deep groan, tightening around Lauren’s fingers. Her release approached her swiftly, causing her to buck her hips into her mouth and fingers, tightening her grip on Lauren’s hair.

“ _ Fuck!”  _ Normani screamed, leaking down onto Lauren’s chin and palm. Normani shuddered and groaned as she came, rolling her tongue over her top lip in between her boisterous moans, constantly crying out her girlfriend’s name. She leaned back on her palms and continued to roll her hips into Lauren’s mouth, urging her to keep going even through her orgasm. Once Normani’s arms began to shake, Lauren slowed her tongue against her clit, looking up to admire her hooded eyes. The darker woman took her trembling leg off of Lauren's shoulder and put it back into the refreshing water, letting out a shaky but satisfied sigh. 

“Oh my god.” Normani whispered, gasping as Lauren slid her fingers out of her. Lauren slowly licked her lips and swam up to meet Normani’s eyes that were illuminated by the afternoon sun. 

“You're so fucking good at that Lauren, I swear.” Normani marveled. She took the bunch of Lauren’s hair that was still in her grip to pull her into a searing kiss. Normani moaned at the taste of herself smeared across Lauren’s lips, pulling one of them in between her teeth.

“You were so damn loud I'm sure they heard us up in the market.” Lauren warned, pulling Normani’s bikini top back over her chest.

“Let them.” Normani said with a confident grin. She scooted herself off of the smooth rock, dipping her torso beneath the water’s surface. Lauren wrapped her hands around Normani’s waist, making sure she didn't splash her too much.

“You can still swim with your legs shaking like that?” Lauren asked with a chuckle.

“Oh shut up.” Normani scoffed, playfully splashing at the green eyed woman.

“Make me.” Lauren replied, splashing back at Normani. 

Normani pushed her hand against the water's surface, splashing right onto Lauren’s face.

“Mani, quit it you play too much!” Lauren said with a giggle.

“You started it!” 

Lauren rolled her eyes, and swam closer to her girlfriend, squinting her eyes underneath the sun. 

“You're right.” Lauren agreed, wrapping her arms around Normani’s waist. Normani looked down at her arms which were still glowing underneath the sun. She peered at her wrist before wrapping her arms around Lauren’s neck again.

“Thank you for this.” Normani said, spreading her lips into a wide smile. 

“What, the bracelet?”

“Well yeah, but thanks for everything,” Normani paused to lick her lips, “I really appreciate it.” 

“Anything for you.” Lauren replied, pressing her lips against Normani’s in a soft, chaste kiss. 

 

 Something about that day changed everything for the both of them, especially since they were at a completely different place at the start of it. Lauren would have never expected to push her pride aside so quickly over someone but since Normani meant so much to her, she was proactive to do so. It felt good to the both of them to avoid harboring and extending things and from that point on, they knew that they wouldn't do that anymore. 

 

Lauren swam back, dipping her hair into the cool water as Normani followed,  spreading her arms and legs to catch up with her. Lauren looked up at the afternoon sun, which had started to set on the side of the sky. Normani waded along with her girlfriend, admiring the scene in  peaceful silence. 

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon beside the waterfall, taking small breaks to eat and drink on the rock cliff. Once the humid evening breeze slid through the trees, Lauren and Normani sat back on their bags, watching the sunset glide past them in the sky. 

“Thank you for everything Lauren.” Normani repeated softly, slightly slurring her words as she rested the half full bottle of mamajuana on the rock cliff. “It means the world to me.” She added, resting her head on her shoulder. 

“Anything for you.” 

“You’re gonna help me re-style my hair right?” Normani asked, pointing to her head.

Lauren shook her head, giggling, “Why did you have to ruin the moment like that, Mani?”

Normani raised her eyebrows, “It’s a serious question!” 

“Of course I will.”  Lauren said, leaning in to press her lips on Normani’s head, “Anything for you Mani you know that.”

Normani smiled in satisfaction and continued to gaze at the sun with her girlfriend. Lauren hand rested on top of Normani’s, the darker woman glanced at her, almost blushing from such subtle contact. Lauren slowly interlocked her fingers with Normani’s and smiled back at her girlfriend, admiring the way the sun reflected off of her rich brown eyes. Lauren  then looked back out into the beautiful scenery, taking in those peaceful moments with the woman she loved most. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> YAY! It's finally out! I have a lot of verrrryyy interesting things planned for this fic so your feedback TRULY matters for this project. Feel free to message me on tumblr at kordei-pinnock.tumblr.com or tweet me @kordaybaybay  
> Also, I apologize if it looks a little weird, I'm still trying to figure out formatting on here  
> S/o to Autumn for helping me out with this as well!


End file.
